Court delays are an issue the Manitoba government would have to work out if Ottawa decides to lower the legal alcohol limit for drivers.
The federal government is considering lowering the legal from 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood to 50 milligrams.
READ MORE: Justice minister wants to lower legal alcohol limit for drivers, restaurant industry concerned
According to statistics from the Winnipeg Police Service, if the lower limit had been in place over the last five years, there could have been at least 668 more criminal impaired driving charges laid during that time.
“We are concerned about resources, we are concerned about court delays, those are issues we will be having discussions with,” said Manitoba Justice Minster Heather Stefanson.
The federal government is asking the provinces to weigh in on the prospect of lowering the limit.
Other groups are already sharing their opinions on the idea.
“It’s probably the number one thing that will lower the number of deaths and injuries,” said Andrew Murie, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
“What it won’t do is fix the problem of those really irresponsible people who are having too much to drink and not even thinking about the repercussions before getting behind the wheel,” said Liz Kulyk with CAA Manitoba.
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