Summertime: Road safety never goes on vacation!

News
Published on July 28, 2022

As thousands of motorists take to the province’s roads to enjoy a summer vacation, the road accident toll is already alarming. CAA-Quebec wants to reiterate the importance of driving carefully and following speed limits. After all, no need to rush—you’re on vacation! 

According to a survey CAA-Quebec conducted earlier this spring, 46% of Quebecers are going on vacation in August. Although summer is already well underway, there’s still plenty to come. Soaring gas prices and inflation are not going to stop people from going on vacation, and many will be hitting the road in and around Quebec in the coming weeks.

“Quebec is almost halfway through the 75 deadliest days on our roads, and the accident toll is already extremely high,” said Marco Harrison, road safety expert and director of the CAA-Quebec Foundation. “It’s not too late to reverse the trend and end this part of the summer with more encouraging statistics, but we’ll all have to take our collective foot off the gas. Remember that the faster you go, the greater the risk.”

Practical tips to beat the statistics

CAA-Quebec points out that the main causes of road accidents are directly related people’s behaviour behind the wheel. Speed and distractions such as cellphones, eating, or changing music are the biggest culprits.

Here are a few easy things you can do on all your travels to make a big difference in safety:

  • Keep more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to improve your reaction time.
  • Slow down around construction sites and plan out your route.
  • Reduce your speed. Over a distance of 20km, driving at 110km/h instead of 90km/h barely saves you two minutes. Is it really worth the risk?
  • Always keep your full attention on the road and adapt your driving to weather conditions. There are risks to watch out for in summer too!
  • Rest before you leave, eat light, and take short breaks every two hours to reduce drowsiness while driving. The best way to deal with sudden fatigue is to stop in a safe place and take a quick nap. Generally, less than 20 minutes is all it takes.