A worrying start to summer on the roads: many collisions involve heavy goods vehicles

The road toll since the beginning of the summer is worrying, while many lives have been mowed down, but accidents involving heavy goods vehicles are attracting attention, with at least 7 dead and 9 seriously injured in one month.

“A collision with a heavy vehicle is rarely forgiving,” recalls Martin Lavallière, professor of kinesiology at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi and expert in road safety.

According to a compilation made by The newspaper, we deplore at least 7 dead and 9 people seriously injured in a collision involving at least one heavy goods vehicle. A mid-summer report described as “worrying” by Mr. Lavallière.

He explains that because of the “heavy mass of a truck”, the energy required to propel it at good speed makes it inevitable that a collision will be “violent”, thus causing death.

“This is why we do not see death during a pedestrian-pedestrian collision, but the toll increases when the elements involved are cars or heavy vehicles”, he illustrates.

Better road sharing

The latter calls for a “better sharing of the road” between users, while he believes that some motorists should adapt their driving in the presence of heavy goods vehicles, stressing that truckers are not the only ones responsible for collisions.

“People need to be extra careful on the roads. […] Driving is probably the most dangerous thing a person will do in their day, and we seem to forget it, ”underlines the professor.

His words echo those of Pierre Bellemarre, a collision expert and former Sûreté du Québec reconstitutionist, who does not want to “blame the truckers”.

“In a collision, we always look at three factors: the environment, the vehicle and the human factor. […] For the human side, there is often distraction and inattention,” he explained recently in an interview, called upon to react to the fatal collision that occurred at the beginning of the month on Highway 20, in the Saint- Zotique, where two children lost their lives and three family members were seriously injured.

According to the expert, an automatic braking system installed on trucks and which notably detects slowdowns could help prevent accidents of this kind.

“It detects a bunch of elements, and if you approach too close to a certain distance, it will slow down, and if it’s too close, it will put the brakes on,” explained Pierre Bellemarre.

The SAAQ continues to raise awareness

For its part, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec has recognized that “one accident is one accident too many” and has indicated that it will continue its awareness campaigns on road safety.

We add that we plan to put in place “compulsory training for all future heavy vehicle drivers as soon as possible”.

“The latter will include hours of training with particular regard to blind spots and the safety of road users, including pedestrians and cyclists,” it says.

A committee for the analysis of fatal accidents involving a heavy vehicle has been set up in order to “identify the causes and develop possible solutions to improve the road safety record”.

NUMBER OF DEATHS ON THE ROADS INVOLVING A HEAVY TRUCK, EXCLUDING OCCUPANTS OF SUCH TRUCKS

At least 7 accidents with a heavy vehicle in 1 month