The safety corridor when an emergency vehicle is immobilized along a road is far from being respected by all motorists. According to data obtained by TVA Nouvelles, the number of statements of offense issued for non-compliance by the Sûreté du Québec has jumped by 25% in 5 years.
On the territory served by the police force, 758 fines for this offense were issued in 2017. Last year, this number increased to 947 tickets.
However, the law on the safety corridor has been in effect for 10 years on all roads in Quebec.
“Now, we can think that people are informed, of this regulation, know how to make the security corridor. They are perhaps a little more inclined to denounce when they are victims of certain behaviors on the road network, ”said the spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, Claude Doiron, in an attempt to explain this increase in the number of victims. fines.
In the field, emergency responders such as tugs fear for their safety during operations along the road network.
“We miss getting hit, it’s so common. Since this winter, I have three men who almost got hit. The motorists went over the cones,” explained the owner of Remorquage Provincial Jacques D’Anjou, Tony D’Anjou.
The paramedics are also confronted with dangerous situations from motorists who do not respect the measure.
“At an accident scene, you need a lot of space to work; we have the stretchers, we have the handling of ambulance equipment, the firefighters with the extrication pliers. It is several meters of distance that a motorist must have, “added the vice-president of the Federation of pre-hospital employees of Quebec, Jérémie Landry.
In order to respect the safety corridor, motorists must “slow down, get as far away from the vehicle as possible to protect this person, so it could be a person who works at the emergency level, but it could be surveillance people, that can be a tow truck,” said SAAQ spokesperson Mario Vaillancourt.
Offenders face fines of between $200 and $300 and four demerit points.
Many awareness campaigns have been put forward since the measure was introduced in 2012, but first responders in the field believe that more needs to be done.
“It’s to raise awareness more and more. Human lives are being taken away. We, what we want as a health worker, is to work safely, ”pleaded Jérémie Landry.
“Slow down, give us a chance. We’re here, we don’t want to get killed. We miss hitting all the time,” added tugboat Tony D’Anjou.
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com