As an estimated 160,000 Quebecers hit the highways for the construction holiday, Sûreté du Québec (SQ) warns drivers to slow down.
The provincial police will be out in full force for the annual two-week holiday.
Over a hundred officers will be out on the Quebec roads and waterways.
Since the beginning of the operation on Friday morning, 132 speeding tickets have been handed out in Montreal and 1,700 throughout the province.
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The goal of the ticketing blitz is to promote safety behind the wheel and to reduce the number of fatal incidents on the road, Capt. Paul Leduc said.
In 2018 over the holiday, there were 14 deadly collisions in Quebec which killed 16 people and Capt. Leduc says that is too much.
“We want to bring that number down,” Capt. Leduc said.
The number has gone down. Currently, there are 28 fewer recorded fatalities due to accidents than the same time last year.
Speed is still the deadliest factor on Quebec roads followed by distracted driving and impaired driving.
Capt. Leduc is asking drivers to reduce their speed and to plan their trips ahead of time.
“Please follow the speed limit and take it easy. There is no reason to rush your on vacation.”
READ MORE: SQ cracking down on impaired drivers during summer long weekends
Police will be enforcing the law across the territory using every vehicle in the fleet including cars, motorcycles, and ATVs.
Capt. Leduc also says there will be an increased presence on the water.
A total of 74 boats will be patrolling due to the increase in drownings this year.
“Were going to be everywhere so people a can have a safe holiday, ”
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In 2018 the SQ has issued tickets for more than 400,000 driving infractions.
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