If a war is being fought in the streets of Montreal, it is certainly not at the expense of the car. On the contrary, it is clear that it is humans who suffer from the preponderant place occupied by the car in our cities.
The territory monopolized, but never enough
The car is still largely queen on our streets. An analysis carried out in 2021 by Polytechnique Montréal reveals that nearly 74% of road space is still dedicated to cars on the island of Montreal. Cars that mainly transport empty spaces, since their average occupancy rate barely exceeds 1.2 passengers, and which remain parked 95% of the time.
Cars that continue to multiply: in 30 years, while the population of Quebec has grown by 22%, the number of personal vehicles has increased by 61%. If there is a culprit for the congestion and frustration of motorists, it is this competition for space between motorists that must be named, rather than blaming traffic calming efforts or the timid reallocation of space granted to develop bicycle lanes or lanes reserved for public transit.
A road record that does not mislead on the real victims
But since it’s supposedly a war on the car, let’s focus on who the victims are. Unfortunately, in this respect, the figures do not lie: while the overall road safety record continues to improve, pedestrians represent an ever-increasing proportion of victims. In the space of a decade, their proportion in traffic fatalities rose from 13.2% to 19.3%.
In question, in particular, the proliferation of sport utility vehicles and light trucks, which increase the risks: a pedestrian is 3.4 times more likely to die in the event of a collision with such a vehicle than if he were struck by a regular car.
Another staggering statistic: seniors now account for nearly half of pedestrians killed, even though they represent only 21% of the population. Faced with this alarming observation, it is rather cynical to want to present the car as the panacea for the mobility of the elderly!
Acting on behavior is no longer enough
To reverse these trends, road safety specialists all agree on one point: trying to influence behavior has its limits. According to a survey by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, 97% of Quebecers recognize the importance of respecting speed limits. According to observations made by CAA-Quebec around a Montreal school, they are however also 96% not to respect the speed limits in a school zone.
The conclusion is obvious: it is by multiplying traffic calming measures and pedestrian and cycling infrastructures that we can hope to improve our road safety record; Don’t slow down, but pick up the pace. This will benefit all road users, including motorists. As proof, a Waze list recently placed the Netherlands, a cycling paradise, at the top of the countries where it is good to drive!
In Quebec, there is no “powerful cycling lobby”, just players who are mobilizing to offer Quebec households more mobility choices, while reducing the financial burden of solo driving.
Being able to choose to travel sometimes on foot, sometimes by bike, sometimes by public transport, by car, personal or shared, without fearing for one’s safety, means enjoying a better quality of life, but also autonomy. increased, especially for our children and our elders.