Beware of animals on the roads
Over the next few weeks, patrol officers will be more present on the roads where this type of collision occurs.
Share September 29, 2020 9:45 am Updated at 4:17 pm Share Beware of animals on the roads
René-Charles Quirion La Tribune Faced with a finding that nearly four out of ten accidents are caused by deer on the roads in its territory, the MRC of Coaticook is trying to reduce this incidence.
Over the next few weeks, patrol officers will be more present on the roads where this type of collision occurs.
Speed control operations with the aim of reducing it will be carried out in particular on Route 147 in Compton.
“Reducing the speed of motorists increases the chances of recognizing the animal's presence in time and avoiding a collision. They can appear from anywhere. The police will target the roads where the presence of animals is greater to make motorists aware of the reduction of speed, ”explains the spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec in Estrie, Sergeant Aurélie Guindon.
The latter specifies that 37 percent of all accidents listed in the MRC of Coaticook involve collisions with animals.
Since 2015, there have been an average of 482 collisions per year, for an average of around 178 related to collisions with animals
“If a specific plan in this direction has been established in the MRC of Coaticook, the problem also concerns several other MRCs in the Estrie and Center-du-Québec regions. We invite road users to be extra careful over the coming weeks regarding the presence of animals near roads and on the roadway. The return of cold weather coincides with an upsurge in collisions involving animals, in particular with white-tailed deer, ”explains the spokesperson for the SQ in Estrie.
The SQ reminds that the beginning and the end of the day during the months of October and November are two favorable times when deer are seen on the roads.
The SQ invites motorists to be attentive to places where signs indicate the presence of animals on the roads, particularly where visibility is reduced, such as on slopes, bends and in places where vegetation is dense.
