With the summer holiday peak period about to begin, Transports Québec is advising motorists to always follow established safety rules that apply when road maintenance crews are parked along the side of the highway.
As part of the work they do to see that the province’s network of roadways is always maintained, Transports Québec employees sometimes must stop their vehicles on or next to the roadway.
When a Transports Québec vehicle is stopped, a large illuminated yellow arrow, a rotating yellow dome light or some other emergency warning system atop the vehicle is switched on and motorists are expected to respect a “safety corridor” near the vehicle.
Just as if a car is about to be passed, motorists should first check the rear-view mirror, switch on a right or left turn signal (depending on the situation), reduce speed, and pass the Transport Québec vehicle, so that there is an effective corridor of safety between the moving and stationary vehicles.
While Transports Québec officials acknowledge that motorists always seem to comply with this rule when they see the distinctive blue and red flashers on police vehicles, they say the yellow flashers used by road maintenance crews don’t seem to get anywhere near the same response – even though the rule is the same.
And the penalty is also the same: A fine ranging from $200 to $300, and four demerit points, leading to higher driver’s license and car insurance fees when they next become payable.
