Thanksgiving weekend proves dangerous on Quebec roads, says SQ

The Thanksgiving weekend was a deadly one on Quebec roads, with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) reporting seven fatal collisions.

While the number of collisions involving fatalities on roads monitored by the SQ remained unchanged from 2020, the number of collisions with injuries jumped from 81 last year to 117 this year.

Police stepped up patrols during the holiday weekend from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11 and issued over 6,200 tickets. Of those, more than 4,100 were for speeding.

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Among the various behaviours cited as the main causes in collisions causing injury or death, speeding is over-represented, according to police.

In addition to speeding and reckless driving, police were looking out for people not wearing seatbelts, impaired drivers and motorists using a cellphone while behind the wheel.

Out of 296 roadblocks, police arrested 70 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or a combination of both. The number of arrests remains unchanged from 2020.

The SQ is urging motorists to adopt responsible behaviours when driving to make Quebec roads safer for everyone.

1:31 Road Safety Campaign