Last year’s road safety report in Quebec shows an 18% decrease in the number of people injured compared to the average over the past five years, from 2016 to 2020.
The compilation announced Tuesday by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), however, reports 347 road deaths in 2021, an increase of 0.7% compared to the average of the previous five years, but 1,227 people seriously injured, a decrease of 11% compared to the same previous period.
The number of minor injuries dropped significantly from one season to another, by 18.5%.
The balance sheet of SAAQ comparing 2021 to the average of the years 2016 to 2020, the only year 2020 that proved atypical due to the context of the pandemic.
Statistics last year show that four in ten dead victims were road users considered vulnerable: pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or riding a moped. The total of 137 vulnerable road users killed in a road collision rose 5.2% compared to the average from 2016 to 2020.
More cars on the road
Ang SAAQ noticed in 2021 a 2.3% increase in the number of vehicles in circulation; this is 4.7% for heavy vehicles, 10.7% for motorcycles and 11.1% for mopeds, a combination that, according to the state-owned company, could explain the decline in the number of deaths among the weak. user.
The number of cyclists injured was 1,459 last year, down 77 from the past five years, but the 16 deaths among them represent an increase of 56.9%. Meanwhile, the number of motorcyclists injured dropped by 4.8%, but there were 67 fatalities in 2021, 27.4% higher than the average from 2016 to 2020. Among moped riders, there were 703 accidents, an increase of 29.5%.
On the other hand, among injured pedestrians, there was an improvement of 19.4% compared to the average from 2016 to 2020, while 52 deaths in 2021 constitute a decrease of 20.7% compared to the five -year average.
The Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, said he was strongly encouraged by the improvement in the road safety record in 2021, despite the resumption of travel. In his opinion, investments and efforts focused on road safety work.
The president and CEO of Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, Denis Marsolais, expressed his concern about the deaths among vulnerable users. He indicated that there will be ongoing efforts to avoid collisions and strive to improve the road safety record.
Source: Radio-Canada
