The Conservative government will increase the maximum speed on Quebec highways to 120 km/h instead of the current limit of 100 km/h.
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Eric Duhaime made the announcement on Saturday morning during a press briefing at a rest stop in Lewis.
“We believe it’s time to trust Quebec motorists to raise this speed limit,” said the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), recalling that it was a long-standing commitment by his political establishment.
According to him, “Automotive technologies and safety have advanced a lot in recent years. The speed limit on Quebec roads reflects this new reality.
In the first reaction, Chief Caquist François Legault rejected the conservative proposal. “We are not considering it, I am not an expert, but I am of the opinion that the Ministry of Transport and people who know about it see the risk of increased accidents,” he argued.
In support of his comments, Mr. Duhaime cites several examples in Canada and around the world where speed limits are higher than 100 km/h, causing more accidents. The most famous example is Germany, which has no speed limits on some motorways. “We have noticed that they often suffer fewer road accidents than neighboring countries that have much lower speed limits,” assured the head of the PCQ.
According to CAA-Quebec data, driving at 100 km/h instead of 120 km/h costs 20% less fuel. Isn’t it ironic that in the current climate of rising gas prices, motorists are driving faster?
“Time is also money,” replied Eric Duhaime. If you can do 10 or 15 km/h more, your 5 to 10 minutes – or 20 minutes when you go to Montreal – you’ll recover, there are people who know that there are people who enjoy it. Yes, there is the factor of gas mileage. But there is also an element of time that must be weighed against the financial scale to determine which of the two is more profitable. »
More generally, Mr. Duhaime said he wants to put a “little clear barrier for everyone” at 120 km / h, to put an end to the current “unspoken”. Currently, it is rare for a motorist to get a ticket for driving between 100 kmph and 120 kmph on highways, he recalled.
– In collaboration with Genevieve Lajoie
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