Quebec's provincial police and auto insurance agency are urging drivers to be careful as the deadliest 75 days on the roads is about to begin.
CAA-Quebec notes that the highest number of fatal road crashes happen between Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day/Fete Nationale (June 23) and Labour Day (Sept. 4) weekends.
The provincial auto insurance board (SAAQ) said that 116 people died in road accidents during the 75-day stretch in 2022, almost a third of all road deaths all year.
The SAAQ reports that 2022 was the worst on record for six regions in Quebec: Gaspésie–Iles-de-la-Madeleine (6 deaths), Mauricie (12 deaths), Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (10 deaths), Côte-Nord (6 deaths), Chaudière-Appalaches (8 deaths) and Laurentides (18 deaths).
A CAA-Quebec news release said that 80 per cent of deadly crashes on the road and the result of human error such as driving while distracted, tired or impaired. Speeding is another major factor.
"Each and every user of the road network, regardless of their means of transport, has a duty to assume individual responsibility to collectively improve the situation and counter the statistics. This is especially true during the busy travel season, when roads will be crowded, and caution and harmonious coexistence are paramount," said CAA-Quebec director Marco Harrison.
CAA-Quebec notes that more than half of Quebecers vacation in the province (57 per cent).
The Surete du Quebec (SQ) will be teaming up with more than two dozen local police forces to improve problematic behaviour behind the wheel throughout the province.
The SQ is also teaming up with the Quebec motorcyclist federation, noting that seven motorcyclists died in crashes in the first week of May.
The SAAQ said that one particular maneuver remains of concern for riders.
"Turning left is one of the most dangerous manoeuvres for a motorcyclist," said spokesperson Geneviève Côté. "In fact, it's the manoeuvre that causes the most accidents between a motorcyclist and another vehicle. The statistics for motorcyclists involved in road accidents remain worrying. "
Côté said over the last five years, there has been a 10 per cent increase in fatal road crashes involving motorcyclists. This number is less surprising when noting that the number of motorbike registrations has risen from 183,000 in 2017 to over 213,000 in 2022, she said.
"So if there are more motorbikes on our roads, we need to be extra careful, and it's important to share the road between different users," said Côté.
Many of the added bikes on the road are being ridden by less experienced riders.
"During the pandemic, many people got new motorcycles and they're newly on the road," said SQ spokesperson Francis Bernadin. "They don't have a lot of experience so this is definitely one of the key factors right now."
-- with files from CTV News reporter Lauren Roberts.
