Coroner calls for licence suspensions for Quebec drivers who don't wear seat belts
A Quebec coroner is recommending temporary licence suspensions for drivers who are caught not wearing a seat belt.
The recommendation comes after the death of Felix Demers-Dube, who was killed in a crash in the Montérégie region in early 2022. The 25-year-old wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.
In his report, Coroner Rudi Daelman says the young man's death was preventable.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, 20 per cent of victims in fatal vehicle collisions in Quebec in 2023 were not wearing a seat belt. A year earlier it was 30 per cent.
The coroner recommended changes to the Highway Safety Code for violators to have their licences suspended for three 3 months.
Currently, a person can receive fines up to $300 and three demerit points for not wearing a seat belt.
André Durocher, CAA Quebec's director of community relations and road safety, says at one point Quebec had very high seat belt compliance.
"So maybe, wrongfully, we said, 'OK, job done,'" he said in an interview, adding that for stricter measures to work, awareness and education are key.
"It is a measure, not necessarily the measure, but nevertheless I think beforehand, in order to gain social acceptance of the measure, you have to do education upfront," Durocher said.
He recommends making sure the message is targeting the right people.
Even the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, apologized last summer after social media posts showed her not wearing a seat belt in a vehicle on several occasions.
Quebec's automobile insurance board, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), says its latest data shows seat belt use in Quebec at 99 per cent, adding it's not planning to act on the coroner's recommendation short-term.
"Immediate licence suspensions provided for in the Highway Safety Code are aimed at behaviours that increase the risk of collisions, which is not the case for failure to wear a seat belt," the SAAQ said in a statement to CTV News.
The insurance board says it will ask police forces to pay extra attention to seat belts during future road safety operations, though Durocher says those campaigns can be difficult. Many vehicles have tinted windows, making it difficult to see inside, particularly in the back.
The SAAQ also adds it may develop a seat belt awareness campaign.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.