Parking near intersections | “It can put lives at stake”

As the most dangerous time of the year begins for the most vulnerable road users, a “little-known” regulation aimed at ensuring their safety at intersections remains little enforced in Montreal.

Nicolas Berube
The Press

Last year, the Sustainable Mobility Agency issued an average of 38 statements of offense per day for the entire territory of Montreal to motorists who park their vehicle less than 5 meters from an intersection, which is prohibited the Highway Safety Code.

“A vehicle parked at an intersection greatly affects visibility, so it’s a really important issue, it can put lives at stake,” illustrates Sandrine Cabana-Degani, general manager of Piétons Québec.

According to article 386.4 of the Highway Safety Code of Quebec, it is prohibited to immobilize or park a motor vehicle “less than 5 meters from an intersection, a pedestrian crossing, or in front of a bicycle path identified by appropriate signage.

M^me Cabana-Degani notes that an awareness effort is necessary since the strong presence of vehicles parked at intersections in Montreal shows that the by-law is still unknown.

“Unfortunately, the Sustainable Mobility Agency does not have the right to slip an information sheet under the windshield wipers of vehicles, it can only issue a statement of offence,” she said. It would have been an interesting tool to inform people, but she can’t do it. »

Magali Bebronne, program director for Vélo Québec, notes that vehicles parked very close to an intersection block the view of all road users.

The problem of parking at intersections is not only linked to poor visibility: when leaving, the driver will often have to reverse his vehicle into the crosswalk, creating an additional danger for a person trying to cross the road. street.

M^me Bebronne notes that the ban is valid even if the driver stays in his car. “Even if it’s for two minutes, it affects the safety of other road users, including the most vulnerable users,” she said.

Many intersections have been redesigned in recent years with curb overhangs, an intervention that de facto blocks parking within 5 meters of an intersection.

According to the City of Montreal, 17 pedestrians die each year on the roads of the metropolis. Half of the pedestrians who die are 65 and over, a proportion three times greater than the demographic weight of seniors in Montreal, which is 17%. Intersections are the places where deaths are most frequent.

Seniors overrepresented among victims

In 2020, in its first year of activity, the Sustainable Mobility Agency submitted 8,426 statements of violation of this regulation, a number which increased to 14,014 statements in 2021. As of September 15, 2022, 12,737 statements had been returned.

Alicia Lymburner, spokeswoman for the Sustainable Mobility Agency, notes that parking officers include this regulation in their oversight.

“They ensure compliance with this one with the same rigor as other offences, especially when we find that the vehicle represents a danger to others,” she said, adding that citizens who notice non-compliance with this regulation can report a vehicle in violation to the non-emergency intervention line at 514 280-2222, extension 5.

Hugo Bourgoin, media relations officer at the City of Montreal, points out that Montreal cares about the safety of all users, and more particularly the most vulnerable users.

“This rule is unknown to many motorists and is one of the main road safety issues in the City of Montreal’s Vision Zero 2022-2024 action plan,” he said. The action plan provides for the implementation of an awareness campaign on the ban on parking within five meters of an intersection. The campaign will aim to make motorists aware of the risks of collision due to visual obstruction at intersections. »

According to the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), 33% of collisions between the driver of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian occur in the fall, by far the most dangerous period of the year. year. This is explained in particular by the darkness which arrives much earlier at the end of the day.

Under the Vision Zero action plan, the City of Montreal and several partners, including the Sustainable Mobility Agency, have committed to reducing the number of deaths or serious injuries on the road system to zero by 2040.