Motorists drive far too fast around the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. Barely implemented, the A25 megasite’s mobile photo radar has already become the most lucrative in Quebec, new government data shows.
Posted at 5:00 am
Since the device was installed at the end of January, almost 900 motorists have received tickets thanks to the new photo radar. The addition came after authorities identified around 20 accidents and collisions in the tunnel, which has seen lanes cut in half.
The fines imposed on road users in February are very high; They average $438, we learn in the Justice Department’s latest report on Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras. That’s four times more than the average of other mobile speedcams in the network.
The Autoroute 25 photoradar brought in nearly $400,000 in its first month of operation.
In comparison, on the other side of the tunnel, the fixed speed camera on Highway 20 near Boulevard de Mortagne issued 823 tickets totaling $89,000 in February. However, since its launch more than 10 years ago, this device has been one of the most active on the Quebec network month after month.
Tunnel radar alone eventually accounted for more than a quarter of the fines imposed by mobile radars on Quebec’s streets in February.
The high bill for drivers of the A25 can be explained in particular by the fact that the fines are doubled in the construction zone. Using the StVZO calculation grid, we can easily estimate that the average driver who was caught on the spot drove between 90 and 95 km/h. And that while the limit was lowered to 50 km/h.
Especially off the top
To date, there are 54 photoradars in Quebec, 30 fixed and 24 mobile. The latter can be placed in particular in school or “accident-prone” zones. At the La Fontaine Tunnel, “there is only one device for the time being”, specifies Gilles Payer, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD).
Since there are regular traffic jams in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel section due to tunnel work, the traffic speed is significantly higher than the prescribed maximum speed, especially when the motorway is free of obstacles. “In other words, all of these fines are likely to be concentrated in the evenings and weekends when traffic is much more fluid,” notes University of Montreal traffic planning expert Pierre Barrieau.
With no congestion, in an area where the limit is usually higher, the temptation can be strong to go to 100km/h, the speed limit a few miles away, on Highway 20, Mr Barrieau recalls.
“All these figures confirm the relevance of the intervention. Personally, I would recommend qualifying this photo radar as a pilot project and implementing it elsewhere, on other construction sites. We have a serious road safety issue in Quebec around our work sites,” stresses Mr. Barrieau.
“Very high” speeds in the evening
At the Association of Road Signage Workers of Quebec (ATSRQ), President Jean-François Dionne says its members still have serious fears for their safety in the La Fontaine Tunnel. “People often drive between 90 and 110 km/h when driving from the Charron Bridge to the first tunnel exit. It’s quiet during rush hour, but otherwise speeds are very high, especially in the evening,” Mr Dionne laments in an interview.
It is very positive to have this radar. It provides safety for workers, patrol officers and everyone on the job site.
Jean-François Dionne, President of the ATSRQ
On the other hand, he regrets that the money from the fines was not used for more public relations and awareness-raising to protect workers. “We could have taken some of those tickets to do more, more specifically. It needs national publicity for construction site safety. What we want is for everyone to slow down. There are lives behind it,” emphasizes Mr. Dionne.
Last October, La Presse reported that flagships feared the worst given the blockages in the Louis Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. Even then, observing an increase in accidents, her association has been calling for more safety in the practice of the profession for years.
For Marc Cadieux, CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association, the situation shows “that we need to strengthen the message of respecting speed limits in Quebec, especially around construction sites where we have seen several unfortunate accidents in recent years”.
“I have to observe that there are still many speeds that are not respected, especially in riskier places, such as near construction sites. We need to use this data as an index of awareness among road users, including our members in the industry, by increasing awareness and education,” concludes Mr. Cadieux.
With Pierre-André Normandin, La Presse