MONTREAL, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Quebec's government has reversed itself on a plan to lower the maximum blood-alcohol limit for drivers to 0.05 percent from 0.08 percent, officials said.
Transport Minister Sam Hamad said Monday the provincial government was not convinced a lower level would result in significantly safer roads, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
After months of study, it was unclear whether reducing the blood-alcohol limit by 0.03 percentage points would make a significant difference in a driver's ability behind the wheel or cause people to change their habits when it comes to drinking and driving, he said.
A spokeswoman for Mothers Against Drunk Driving said she was baffled by the decision.
"We are a bit surprised that the Quebec government has not seen fit to go ahead with a measure that has proven efficient in all other Canadian provinces," Marie-Claude Morin said.
"In more than 80 countries worldwide, they have lowered their blood alcohol limit in the criminal code to 0.05 or lower," she said.
In other Canadian jurisdictions, drivers caught with a 0.05 percent blood alcohol level lose their licenses for 24 hours and face other sanctions, the CBC said.
