In the space of barely six days, four accidents involving heavy goods vehicles have occurred in Quebec. Result: four dead, at least six injured.
On Friday, two people died in a major pileup that took place on Highway 40 East, near Trois-Rivières. It was the sad conclusion to a week that had already not gone very well on the roads.
Last Sunday, a 13-year-old girl lost her life on Highway 20, in Saint-Zotique, after the family vehicle was hit by a heavy truck. Then on Tuesday, in downtown Montreal, a cyclist was run over by another heavy truck on De Maisonneuve Boulevard.
On Thursday, two parents who were in a minivan were injured by a young Ontario driver who failed to make his mandatory stop. It was in Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot, in Montérégie.
“Very addictive” quarters
“Do drivers know the extent of the danger that heavy goods vehicles represent? Do we see enough how to behave in a vehicle next to a heavy goods vehicle during our training? asks Marie-Soleil Cloutier, professor at the National Institute for Scientific Research and road safety researcher.
According to her, different elements can cause accidents involving heavy vehicles: their “very large” blind spots, the “very demanding” work shifts of truckers and the speed at which they can travel.
Another element that can explain why we are currently witnessing a wave of this type of accident: we do not suspect it, but “the perfect day is the day when you are going to have a collision”, illustrates Mme Cloutier.
When it is snowing or raining heavily, road users tend to be more careful. When the weather is nice, it’s the opposite. “It feels like there is no danger. »
She also notes that approximately one-third of collisions in urban areas, which affect pedestrians and cyclists in particular, involve heavy vehicles. “I don’t know if it’s overrepresentation, but it’s one of the important causes. »
“What I hear from companies is that there is pressure on schedules and on delivery. I don’t think there is any illegal behavior, but it still puts pressure on their staff, she adds. It’s not specific to trucking, but it has more consequences when you’re driving a ten-wheeler. »
“We should educate people a lot more”
Pierre Bellemare, re-enactor and former Sûreté du Québec (SQ) policeman, is not “not ready to blame the truckers”.
“I think we should educate people a lot more. The SAAQ has already said that the road should be shared… It’s not just for bikes, it’s for all types of vehicles. It’s boring to say, but ideally, by car, if you overtake a semi-trailer truck, you have to stay away, advises Mr. Bellemare. When it brakes forward, look what’s behind. People don’t drive with the rear view mirror enough. »
If you get hit at 30 km/h in a truck, it’s the equivalent of 100 km/h in a car because of the mass. A heavy truck is 35 times more energy than a car. The damage is enormous.
Pierre Bellemare, re-enactor and former Sûreté du Québec police officer
In his opinion, the truckers who travel the roads of the province have “perhaps a little less experience than in the past, but they still have good training”. The problem lies elsewhere.
“Accidents are often inattention and distraction. THE [camionneurs] travel thousands of kilometers a year. Sometimes we react a little too late. Driving is not complicated: it requires your constant attention. »
“Yes, we put the blame on individuals, but it is the system that needs to be reviewed,” concludes Marie-Soleil Cloutier.
The identity of the victims of Trois-Rivières known
Mélanie Guérin, 43, and François Allaire, 44, residents of Sainte-Adèle in the Laurentians, both lost their lives on Friday in Trois-Rivières, the SQ confirmed on Saturday evening. Their vehicle had been “completely destroyed” after being wedged between two heavy trucks.
The Trois-Rivières Fire Department had been dispatched to the scene to extricate the two occupants of the vehicle. Another vehicle less directly involved in the collision suffered only light damage.
Twenty-four hours after the tragedy, the police were stingy with comments, the investigation still ongoing.
Joined by The Press, the Quebec Trucking Association says it is “aware of the importance” of the recent accidents, but nevertheless considers that it is not in a position to speak “as long as the investigations are still in progress”, whether for the Trois-Rivières accident or the previous ones. “We are closely monitoring the situation,” she adds.