The deadliest weather on Quebec’s roads began a few days ago and, already, “follows the trend” of previous years, warned Marco Harrison, director of the CAA-Québec Foundation.
According to the CAA, the 75-day period between Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Labor Day is historically when most fatal traffic accidents occur in the province.
“There have already been five deaths on the streets in six days,” Harrison said in a telephone interview Thursday.
In 2021, a total of 92 deaths occurred during these two and a half months, according to the Société d’Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) road safety report.
Although the period is only a fifth of the year, it saw more than a quarter of its 347 deaths.
This is the season when “we see a lot of motorcyclists, cyclists, there are more pedestrians on the roads,” and more traffic means more accidents, SAAQ spokesman Mario Valencourt explained in a telephone interview.
“Unfortunately, road sharing is still difficult for some road users to understand,” Harrison said.
He also pointed out that “there is an influx of visitors from outside, whether from another province or from the United States.”
“The number of recreational vehicles on the roads is quite high,” he said.
“During the two years of the pandemic, this type of vehicle has been a craze and it sells well.”
The CAA’s annual Summer Travel Intention Survey, released on June 1, indicates that nearly half (45 percent) of Quebecers plan to travel within the province, while 28 percent will go to Canada or elsewhere, and 20 percent who will stay At home.
speed and distraction
Harrison and Valencourt agree that the main reason for the confrontation is distraction and speeding.
“Most people are on vacation, so I don’t see the urge to drive fast, get distracted,” Harrison said.
He made it a point to remember the importance of staying on the lookout, making sure you are always visible and always keeping a safe distance from other cars, in order to always have a leeway to brake suddenly or avoid an obstacle.
SAAQ also warns against the consequences of fatigue at the wheel during long holiday travel with the “Stop Before Fatigue” awareness campaign launched in recent weeks.
Despite everything, “for a good 10 years, the road record still improved,” Valencourt said.
“The number of such accidents is decreasing.”
However, he added that “one death is always one too many.”
The death toll in 2011 was 479, which is 132 more than in 2021.
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