With more than 15 deaths on Quebec roads since the start of the construction holiday, Quebec’s auto insurance board is urging motorists to slow down. According to Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) spokesperson Simon-Pierre Poulin, it is a trend seen year after year, with the death toll tending to increase. He noted that during the same period last year, there had already been about 20 deaths on the province’s roads, with a total of 35 by the end of the construction holiday, which he called a record high for fatalities. “There’s one final weekend ahead of us, so one last chance to make this construction holiday less deadly than the last one,” Poulin said in an interview. “It’s always dramatic. One death is one too many, but it’s even more dramatic when you know the causes of these collisions, and during the construction holiday period, on average over the last several years, three deaths out of four are due to speeding.” And when it comes to speeding, Poulin said motorists have control because it is a choice. Early Tuesday, a 21-year-old man was caught driving 210 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 15 in Laval near Curé-Labelle Boulevard by provincial police. The man lost his licence for seven days and was issued a $2,068 fine and 24 demerit points. Still, Poulin stressed that speeding, especially in the summer, remains an ongoing issue. “It’s beautiful outside. You see far away. You’re light-hearted. Maybe you took a little drink. These are the situations in which you take risks. These are the situations in which you speed, and speeding might kill you. So it’s important, knowing this, to be even more cautious,” he said. The spokesperson also emphasized that about half of the deadly collisions that occur during the construction holiday happen within a 15-kilometre radius of a motorist’s home. “I think people are maybe more reckless or more inattentive, maybe close to their house. So yes, we’re talking about vacation. But even if you’re not on vacation or if you’re back from vacation, stay attentive to the road until the very, very last second.” Another contributing factor to the high number of deaths during the construction holiday is fatigue, according to the SAAQ. Poulin underscored the need to plan ahead and listen to your body. “Be attentive. Stop every two hours. Just take a breather and change drivers. If you’re on a long drive, it’s a good idea,” Poulin said. “Yes, you can drink coffee. Yes, you can roll down the window. Yes, you can take an energy drink. But these are all cosmetic. They might make you feel less tired, but you are still tired. There’s no magic remedy for fatigue. You just have to sleep.” He also reminded the public that the Sûreté du Québec has an active operation underway during the holiday, with an increased police presence.
