VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The provincial government has introduced legislation lowering the blood alcohol limit for drivers.
Under new rules, drivers blowing between .05 and .08 could receive an immediate three-day driving ban plus a $200 fine.
The B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association predicts people will think twice about that bottle of wine during dinner. Association president Ian Tostenson admits he doesn't really know how much alcohol .05 amounts to. He says the guideline up until now, for .08, was usually two glasses of wine over a two hour period.
He expects restaurant alcohol sales to drop, as a result of the legislation. "For restaurants in the outskirts or destination restaurants, it will have an impact. Maybe he will have two glasses of wine, and she will have one, as opposed to sharing a bottle of wine. It's going to change behaviour," he predicts.
He says restaurants will now be more focused on promoting "how-to-get-home-safe" programs.