On April 17, the Quebec government passed Bill 165 amending the Highway Safety Code. A number of measures came into force, including others will take effect from May 18. This new code is the result of four years of work, talks, research and discussions. Vélo Québec has devoted a great deal of energy and attention to it. Our thanks to all the organizations and individuals who supported us throughout the process.
Admittedly, it's hard to ignore the context in which the work to overhaul the code took place. During this period, four Ministers of Transport came and went, which didn't make it any easier to push forward with concepts and ideas that are already gaining ground around the world, and have led to cycling being recognized for all the benefits it brings to society.
That said, throughout the process and in the final wording of the law, gains were made, as we have already pointed out. The minimum overtaking distance (1 m and 1.5 m), the increase in fines for jaywalking, the end of demerit points, the introduction of the "vélorue" concept, and the authorization to cross intersections thanks to the pedestrian light are indeed gains. As far as the precautionary principle is concerned, we'd have liked to see more boldness, but we've had our work cut out for us. The same applies to the simplification of all the measures concerning visibility and lighting, where it's true that some flexibility has been introduced, but this is limited by a lack of understanding of the concrete reality of the different uses of bicycles. Finally, we were totally stunned by the 433 % increase in penalties imposed on cyclists, a measure we did everything we could to have changed in the final sprint of the work.
Over the coming months, it will be interesting to see how the Code is applied by police forces, who have given a lukewarm welcome to this increase in penalties. It will also be interesting to see how municipalities respond to the opportunity afforded them by Bill 165 to carry out pilot projects that could, in the medium term, continue to evolve the Code in line with the most innovative practices elsewhere in the world.
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager