For the third consecutive year, fewer people are dying on Quebec roads, and speeding has dropped as well thanks to electronic monitoring devices, but there is still a concerning number of drinking and driving incidents.
Here are some statistics provided by Quebec's vehicle insurance department, Societe de l'assurance automobile du Quebec.
On road deaths, the rate is dropping:
- A total of 515 people were killed in 2009, 42 fewer than 2008.
- Pedestrians made up 13 per cent of those killed.
- Cyclists accounted for 3 per cent of road fatalities.
On speeding, photo radar and red light cameras appear to be working. In areas where there is a radar device:
- The average driving speed has dropped by 12 per cent.
- Speeding infractions are down 63 per cent.
- Red-light violations have been reduced by 80 per cent where cameras have been installed.
Still, that number could be improved with a different public perception, said Johanne St-Cyr of the SAAQ.
"There is no social consensus regarding speeding in Quebec. Speeding (appears to be) just fine. We do have a consensus about alcohol, but still, people drink and drive," she said.
On drinking and driving, there has been some effort to curb the trend, but some troubling statistics continue:
- Younger drivers have been proven to turn more often to designated drivers or using programs like Nez Rouge, more than older people.
- A total of 36 per cent of people killed in highway accidents in Quebec in 2009 had an illegal amount of alcohol in their blood.
One concern is that many who drink and drive think they won't get caught, said Jean-Marie de Koninck, president of Quebec's road safety group, Table québécoise en sécurité routière.
"A lot of people that drink and drive think they can get away with it, so one think we have to do is increase the perception of getting caught," he said.
On the SAAQ's spending:
- The accident death and injury rate has been reduced enough to save the SAAQ $300 million per year.
- The SAAQ normally spends $5 million per year on safety campaigns, but will likely be forced to cut 25 per cent of that budget this year to comply with provincial cuts.
