{"id":810597,"date":"2026-07-18T18:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/810597\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T18:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:23:11","slug":"white-hearse-travels-quebec-roads-to-raise-awareness-among-motorists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/810597\/","title":{"rendered":"White hearse travels Quebec roads to raise awareness among motorists"},"content":{"rendered":"

A white hearse from the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de l\u2019assurance automobile du Qu\u00e9bec (SAAQ) will travel across the province during the construction holidays to raise awareness among motorists about adopting safe behaviors during this particularly busy period on the roads.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The hearse will stop in several Quebec cities. Citizens will then be invited to sign the white vinyl-covered vehicle as a \u201cmobile contract,\u201d in which they agree to drive safely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The SAAQ vehicle began its journey Thursday in Montreal. On Saturday, it will stop in Quebec City, notably near the site of the Quebec City Summer Festival, before continuing its route towards Saguenay, Rimouski, Trois-Rivi\u00e8res and Saint-Sauveur, among other places.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to make a statement, we wanted to raise awareness, to make an impression, and that\u2019s kind of the idea behind the hearse. It\u2019s a powerful symbol, it can be shocking, but it also reminds us what\u2019s at stake when we\u2019re behind the wheel, because unfortunately we\u2019re always one distraction away from ending up in the hearse,\u201d explained Simon-Pierre Poulin, spokesperson for the SAAQ, in an interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The construction holidays are one of the deadliest times of year on Quebec roads, Poulin indicated. He explained that this is due to the fact that people take more risks, drive faster because of the good weather, and travel longer distances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year, the construction holiday toll reached 35 deaths on the province\u2019s roads, reports the SAAQ. \u201cThat was almost double the number in previous years,\u201d said Poulin.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The SAAQ spokesperson pointed out that the causes of road deaths are often the same: distractions, speeding, and impaired driving.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are things we can control,\u201d said Poulin. He called on motorists to adopt small, life-saving actions, such as not looking at their cell phones while driving.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the specific case of the construction holidays, it\u2019s really speed. Speed \u200b\u200bis involved in three-quarters of the deaths,\u201d Poulin stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe message is also particularly directed at motorcyclists. We have seen a significant increase in the number of motorcyclist deaths in the last year. A motorcyclist who goes too fast is a motorcyclist who dies. The leading cause of motorcyclist deaths in Quebec is speeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SAAQ spokesperson also stressed the importance for motorcyclists to be dressed appropriately with protective clothing, even if it is hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The S\u00fbret\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec (SQ) also indicated that it will intensify its interventions on the road network during the construction holidays, which run until August 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a third of Quebecers take time off during this period, thus increasing travel on the road network and traffic on waterways and trails,\u201d the SQ said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2013This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews<\/p>\n

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