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Quebec coroner calls for measures to prevent people from driving while fatigued


May 16, 2012   by Canadian Underwriter


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In the wake of a crash in 2010 that killed three cyclists training for a triathlon, Quebec’s coroner is calling on Transport Canada to require manufacturers to equip vehicles with a system for detecting drowsiness and loss of driver alertness.

Also, the coroner has recommended that Quebec’s auto insurer, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, undertake a public education campaign about driving while tired. The coroner recommends that the campaign should caution drivers on the use of cruise control, noting that this might be lulling drivers into “a false sense of security.”

The coroner’s report outlines the circumstances leading to a minivan crashing into three of six cyclists training for a triathlon along Highway 112, southeast of Montreal. The cyclists were traveling three abreast along a gravel part of the highway not suitable for bikes, the coroner’s report noted.

The driver of a minivan trailing behind the cyclists was tired, the report noted, and the driver had cruise control engaged. Upon hitting one of the cyclists, the sound woke up the driver, who then veered left, striking two other cyclists.

Three cyclists, Lyne Duhamel, 39, Sandra De La Garza Aquila, 36, and Christine Deschamps, 44, all died of internal bleeding as a result of their injuries.

Quebec’s coroner issued a report on the incident on May 14, 2012, recommending that Transport Canada consider adding paved shoulders for any road upgrade where there is high-density traffic. Also, it called on Quebec’s auto insurer to reinforce through safety campaigns that bicycles are supposed to ride single file when sharing a lane with traffic.


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