Drivers beware

Some will argue common sense can’t be legislated, but Quebec City is moving in the right direction with laws to make the roads safer.

As for mandatory winter tires, the negative reaction from some motorists was that they would need to spend extra money on a second set of tires. However, having a set of winter tires means that your summer (all-season) tires will last twice as long since you won’t be using them from mid-November or December to late March or even April. For the average driver, quality winter tires could last them three winters. There have been problems this fall with supply and demand but manufacturers and retailers should be able to make adjustments after this first year of the mandatory winter tires rule in Quebec so the same won’t re-occur next year. Even before this law was enacted, the vast majority of Quebec drivers installed winter tires (and in some cases added studs) for better traction. This rule will help to make roads safer but it is still up to motorists to drive with caution. The best winter tires don’t mean you are invulnerable to black ice or the unexpected.

Speaking of reckless behaviour, Quebec’s revamped Highway Safety Code came into effect earlier this month. The new measures aim to curb excessive speeding and drunk driving. For first offence drunk drivers, licence suspensions have increased from 30 days to 90. Speedy drivers can also have their licenses revoked for 60 days and vehicles seized for 30. Excessive speeding rules, for example, mean doing 40 kilometres-per-hour hour or more over the limit in 60 km/h or less zones, or doing 60 km/h or more in a 100-km speed limit zone. Fines for motorists caught doing ‘excessive’ speeding are doubled and the number of demerit points they risk losing is also doubled.

So, with these new rules and tougher penalties, Quebec roads should be safer. But these rules are only on paper and motorists will only be punished after they break them. It is up to each individual motorist to use common sense and drive prudently.