The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) is increasing monitoring of snowmobile trails and trails across the province this weekend in hopes of reducing the number of fatal accidents during the winter season.
Published yesterday at 1:46 p.m.
“We will be present in several sectors Saturday and Sunday, including snowmobile route and road intersections. This is done in collaboration with several Quebec police services, road inspectors and the Fédération des Clubs de Snowmobile du Québec. [FCMQ]so we can be much more numerous,” explains agent Hélène St-Pierre, spokeswoman for the SQ.
This is the second year such an operation has been organized. Ms St-Pierre reiterates that it is, above all, “a good tool for prevention and awareness”. “The causes of accidents are still very often speed or the consumption of alcohol and drugs. We check that on the trails,” she says.
Snowmobile drivers are also reminded of usage tips. Among other things, we recommend that you never go out alone and that you be accompanied by at least one person. If you have to go alone, “we always recommend leaving your itinerary to someone who can find you when needed, saving valuable time,” the agent adds.
In 2023, 27 snowmobilers died in a collision across Quebec. This is an increase compared to the average in recent years, which hovered closer to the 20-death mark.
At least two fatal accidents have already occurred in 2024. Last Sunday, a snowmobiler died after swerving on Saturday in Thetford Mines in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. The next day, not far from there, in Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, a snowmobiler also died.
Last winter, the SQ had also urged users to exercise extreme caution as spring break approached, regretting that “certain adults are adopting behaviors to entertain children that prove unsafe and risk serious injury in the pursuit of motorsports.” salvage.” .”
In Quebec, anyone under the age of 16 who drives a snowmobile or ATV faces a $450 fine. Users are urged to adhere to speed limits but also to drive on trails and avoid unmarked bodies of water as the condition of the ice could pose “a significant risk.”
The FCMQ, in turn, encourages snowmobilers to check their interactive map or iMotoneige application before riding on a trail to know in advance whether it is passable. The organization and several police forces are organizing an awareness campaign on social networks.