Manitoba has an allowable limit of 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml (0.50%) of blood alcohol content (BAC). This amount of BASC is equivalent to two to three bottles of beer.
In 2021, the Manitoba RCMP reported 1,848 Criminal Code offenses and immediate roadside suspensions connected to drunk driving.
This post will discuss what you need to know about driving and drinking in Manitoba. Including the penalties for impaired driving.
Please remember that this post’s central insight only provides information on impaired driving in Manitoba. The article does not support drinking a specific quantity and drinking.
It is advisable to be against any actions that cause intoxicated driving. Even if you only drink at the legal limit, booking a cab, Uber, or any designated driver service is advisable for your safety.
It is also a great idea to check the province’s official website for updates about the laws governing drunk driving regularly.
Legal Alcohol Limit When Driving in Manitoba
Impaired driving laws in Manitoba allow people to drive when drunk within the legal alcohol limit.
The legal alcohol limit in Manitoba for drinking and driving is within the basis of alcohol concentration in your bloodstream. The blood-alcohol content considered permissible in this province is below 80 mg or 0.08% concentration.
Meanwhile, the amount of alcohol mainly enters the body differs from the amount of liquid in your glass or can. Considering the factors of mixed cocktails and kind bartenders, the countless varieties of beer, wine, and hard liquor, each with specific and different alcohol content, becomes much trickier.
According to studies, a person that weighs 160 pounds (72 kilograms) with one standard drink within one hour can have 20 mg BAC or 0.20% alcohol concentration in his blood.
With this, being able to drink one to two standard alcoholic drinks within an hour will highly keep you within the legal BAC limit.
Moreover, you should be able to know that alcohol impacts differently in each person. Some factors affect a person’s ability to hold alcohol regarding gender, age, and weight.
Men and women have entirely different blood alcohol levels, as it concluded that women tend to have greater BAC than men of the same age and weight.
In contrast, men are considered highly active in the forms of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomach and liver, which mainly helps them to process alcohol more quickly.
Using an alcohol breathalyzer is the most precise way to determine how much alcohol is in your system. A BAC chart or BAC calculator can aid you in gauging your BAC level. However, it is still unreliable because alcohol has different impacts on people.
Drink and Drive Punishment in Manitoba
Driving while intoxicated has the equivalent punishment in Manitoba. Going over the limits of the allowable blood alcohol content limit highly cause jail time and a significant possibility of car accidents.
Like in all provinces, impaired drivers in Manitoba are subject to two sets of laws: the federal Criminal Code and the provincial Highway Traffic Act (HTA).
Here are the following penalties you’d have to go through if you do not abide by the Manitoba government’s driving rules and regulations.
Penalty for Having a BAC of 50 mg or More Per 100 Millilimeters of Blood (0.05)
If you register a “warn” on a breathalyzer and are found to have a blood alcohol content of .05 to .079, you will face an immediate tiered driver’s license suspension:
- The driver’s license will be suspended for three days for the first offense. If a minor passenger is in the vehicle at the time of the violation, the driver’s license will be suspended for seven days.
- A driver’s license will be suspended for 15 days for a second offense within ten years.
- A 30-day license suspension for the third offense in ten years,
- A 60-day license suspension if it is the fourth offense or beyond in ten years.
Penalty for Having a BAC of 80 mg or More Per 100 Milliliters of Blood (0.08)
- A minimum fine of $1000 for the first conviction,
- 30 days of a mandatory minimum jail sentence for a second conviction or 120 days for subsequent convictions
- Driving prohibition for a minimum of one year for a first conviction, while a minimum of 2 years for a second conviction and a 3-year minimum of driving prohibition for subsequent convictions.
Penalty for Having a BAC of 160 mg or More Per 100 Milliliters of Blood (0.16)
- Increased minimum fine worth $1,500 if the driver has BAC between .12 and .16. This will also increase to a minimum fine of $2,000 if the driver has a BAC of .16 or higher.
- 30 days of a mandatory minimum jail sentence for a second conviction or 120 days for subsequent convictions
- Driving prohibition for a minimum of one year for a first conviction, while a minimum of 2 years for a second conviction and a 3-year minimum of driving prohibition for subsequent convictions.
Penalty for Refusing to Obey a Peace Officer’s Orders
- There will be an increased minimum fine of $2,000
- On the first conviction, there would be a 2-year Suspension. The second conviction is for a 7-year suspension. While a 10-year suspension for a third conviction and a lifetime suspension on four or more convictions within ten years.
When Can You Drink and Drive in Manitoba?
As stated before, each person has a different reaction to alcohol. However, the following information based on studies does not automatically imply that everything is purely accurate.
Each person has a unique alcohol tolerance, and each body reacts differently to alcohol. Meaning it is still highly advisable to avoid drinking when driving.
How Many Beers Can You Drink and Drive in Manitoba?
Typically, 12 ounces (350 ml) of beer consists of 5% alcohol. This alcohol level primarily determines that a man weighing 160 pounds (72 kilograms) can only have one to two bottles of beer to meet 0.05% BAC. Drinking three bottles or more in an hour can increase your BAC to 0.05%.
How Many Glasses of Wine Could You Drink and Drive in Manitoba?
Drinking two glasses (125 ml) of wine may bring 0.05% of blood alcohol content in a male that weighs 160 pounds (72 kilograms). In contrast, women who have drunk the same amount can risk getting 0.06% BAC.
To stay within Manitoba’s legal BAC limit, drinking one glass of wine within an hour is advisable.
How Many Shots of Vodka or Whiskey Can You Drink and Drive in Manitoba?
Using the same basis, a man weighing 160 pounds (72 kilograms) can have a BAC of 0.03% after drinking 1.5 ounces of spirits with an approximately 40% alcohol level. One shot is enough to avoid the risk of violating the legal BAC limit.
Sticking to Manitoba Impaired Driving Regulations
There are many safe options to get home, but driving while intoxicated is no excuse. You could leave your car at home overnight and choose to take a cab, use public transportation, use ride-hailing services, or call a friend instead and ask a favor to drive you home.
Avoiding driving is highly recommended even though there is a legal limit for blood alcohol content. Instead of drinking and driving, appoint or hire a driver for more safety assurance.
If it is unavoidable to drive after drinking alcohol, make sure your BAC is within the legal limit based on the most recent legislation on the state or province’s official website.
And upon listing all of the drinking imitations, it is still highly advisable to utilize a reliable breathalyzer to assess your blood content accurately.
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