Nearly 300 drivers were arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs between November 30, 2023 and January 2, 2024.
• Also read: 5 dead and several injured on our roads since Christmas Eve
Quebec police authorities, in collaboration with the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and Stratégie route Québec, have announced the results of the concerted nationwide alcohol and drug drive for the holidays.
During this period, several hundred roadside checks were carried out across the province, many of them collectively. These checkpoints, which targeted alcohol- or drug-related driving impairments, allowed police to intervene both coercively and to raise awareness among drivers.
At any time
During this period, the SAAQ ran an awareness campaign on impaired driving under the motto “If you drink, you don't drive”.
Patrol officers can intercept motorists at any time to detect impaired driving and arrest the offending drivers.
The current mandatory stop allows police officers to request a roadside breath sample from a driver, even if they suspect or not that the driver has recently consumed alcohol.
Alcohol remains a leading cause of accidents in Quebec.
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Each year, an average of 85 people lose their lives (24%) and 220 people are seriously injured (15%) due to alcohol.
For a first offense, police can suspend your driver's license for 24 hours to 90 days, even if you have not yet been found guilty by a judge.
A conviction results in a criminal record.
The SAAQ will also impose a driving ban for the mandatory minimum period of one year. The mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 and prison remain possible.
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