Road safety record improves in 2018

The Sûreté du Québec unveiled provisional data for its 2018 road safety report this week, revealing that the number of fatal accidents is decreasing in territory it serves.

The year 2018 ended with a decrease in the number of fatal accidents, from 243 in 2017 to 235 in 2018. The report also shows a decrease in the number of highway deaths for the same period, that is to say 268 deaths in 2017 to 253 in 2018.

Excessive speed: still one of the most common causes of fatal accidents While the number of speed-related fatal collisions dropped from 76 in 2017 to 72 in 2018, speeding still dominates the list of causes of fatal crashes and is among the probable causes of fatal accidents in more than 30 per cent of cases in 2018, that is to say about one collision out of three.

Distracted driving in second place

Driver distraction (including cell phone use) is reported to be involved in 11 per cent of fatal accidents in 2018. Although police officers from the Sûreté du Québec issue more than 9,000 tickets every year for mobile phone use while driving, distracted driving was the likely cause of 25 fatal accidents.

Alcohol and drugs driving is criminal

Driving impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both is the third most likely cause of fatal accidents with a slight decrease to 8 per cent in 2018.

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Wearing a seatbelt, a simple gesture

that saves lives

45 victims were found to not be wearing their seatbelts, an increase of almost double the number of deaths compared to 2017 when 23 victims were not wearing a seatbelt. It is clear that the simple act of wearing a belt is directly related to the severity of the injuries in an accident.

Fatal collisions do not happen only on weekends or the middle of the night

Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of fatal collisions in 2018 occurred during the day. Nearly two-thirds of all fatal accidents occurred between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. with Friday being the day with the most fatal accidents. These statistics demonstrate the importance of

Decrease in the number of road victims aged 16 to 24

The number of people aged 16 to 24 who were killed in crashes decreased 32 per cent from 57 in 2017 to 39 in 2018.

Road safety is everyone's business

The SQ is continuing its efforts to improve the road record but argues that improvement cannot happen without the collaboration of road users and many partners. The root cause of accidents remains the person behind the wheel. Drivers must adopt appropriate and courteous behaviours, thus making the roads of Quebec safer for all users.