The increase in deaths on the roads of Quebec is confirmed: in 2022, 392 people died in the province. This is an increase of about 13% in one year, but above all, a peak in almost a decade which particularly affects the most vulnerable.
This is revealed by the most recent report from the Société de l’assurance automobile (SAAQ) published on Monday. The last time the total road death toll was this high was in 2013. Compared to the 2017-2021 average, the increase is similar, at around 13.2%. Although up slightly over one year, the number of serious (1,275) and minor (27,048) injuries is down 4% and 11% respectively.
“We expected a less good balance sheet, with the first full post-pandemic year back to normal. But what is really sad is that in terms of deaths, we go back ten years,” laments Marco Harrison, road safety expert at CAA-Quebec.
Several categories of vulnerable users seem particularly affected, primarily pedestrians. Last year, 79 of them died on the road network, a jump of 44% in one year and 23% compared to the average of the previous four years.
The director of Piétons Québec, Sandrine Cabana-Degani, does not hide her deep concern. “We knew the 2022 results weren’t going to be good, but we didn’t think it was going to be so bad. You have to go back to 2007 to have such a terrible pedestrian record. Pedestrians are really paying the price for our collective inertia right now,” she insists. In his eyes, “this assessment must be an electric shock to take action”.
For motorcyclists, there were 61 deaths, which represents an absolute decrease of 9% over one year, but an increase of more than 10% compared to the 2017-2021 average. However, a glimmer of hope remains among cyclists, as nine deaths were recorded in 2022, a 44% drop in one year.
More motorists are also losing their lives on the roads. They were 216 last year, against 179 the previous year, an increase of 20% and almost 13% compared to the average. More than half of the people who died in 2022 (55.1%) were occupants of a car or light truck.
education work
Nearly 25% of the deaths recorded in 2022, or 95 of the 392, occurred in accidents involving a heavy vehicle. This is a marked increase compared to recent years, more than 17% compared to the 2017-2021 average. For four years, this number hovered around 80.
“It shows us that we have to redo the campaigns, that we educate people on all the blind spots around the trucks and the drivers to be vigilant. We have work to do on that, ”said Mr. Harrisson, of CAA-Quebec, on this subject.
He regrets that about 30% of the deaths occurred in people aged 65 and over. Deaths have also jumped by 22% among people aged 75 and over. “When we look at pedestrians, we see that it is one in two deaths, it is a senior. You have to adapt. For crossing times, for example, the majority of seconds are still allocated on the average speed of an adult,” adds the expert.
CAA-Quebec is also concerned for the future, in light of “particularly deadly sequences” already observed this year, the most “shocking” of which was the seven deaths in seven days of motorcyclists in May, evokes Mr. Harrison.
Actions already underway
At the SAAQ, we assure that actions have already been taken to correct the situation. A vast awareness campaign focusing on vulnerable users was already launched on May 29 throughout Quebec. Six priorities are targeted: distraction, speed, impairment, fatigue, sharing the road and reckless behavior.
“Behind this increase in deaths lie human tragedies that could have been avoided,” regrets the new CEO of the SAAQ, Éric Ducharme.
He says his group is currently working on the Committee for the Analysis of Pedestrian Fatalities, which aims to “paint a better picture of the issues and target future actions to ensure the safety of pedestrians on the roads”. “It is by remaining vigilant with regard to our behavior on the road that we can ensure everyone’s safety,” points out Mr. Ducharme.
Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault said on Monday that “the data made public today is worrying, particularly with regard to pedestrian deaths”. “Our government will shortly table a road safety action plan. We have a firm desire to improve safety on our roads and we will create the tools to achieve this,” she assured.