Cars and bikes: It’s road-sharing season!

As we head into summer, with its warm days and sunny rays, many of you will be hitting Quebec’s roads in search of summer adventure. Whether your ride of choice is motor or pedal powered, two-wheeled or four-wheeled, you have responsibilities under Quebec’s Highway Safety Code (HSC) and even Canada’s Criminal Code.  

Sharing the road: Safety and courtesy go hand in hand! 

To keep our roads happy and harmonious and make sure everyone follows the HSC, our experts agree: the three key ingredients are courtesy, civility, and cooperation. Here are a few good tips on how to share the road and keep things flowing smoothly this summer.

5 ways to be a good cyclist:     

1. 1. Stay alert when you’re near vehicles and protect other vulnerable road users, like pedestrians
2. 2. Be visible when you’re on the road (wear bright or reflective clothing) and make sure you have the equipment required by law (brakes, reflectors, two lights when biking at night).
3. 3. Establish visual contact with other road users whenever possible to see what their intentions are; use the correct hand signals to indicate yours.
4. 4. Bike in the same direction as traffic, on the far right side of the road.
5. 5. Biking as a group? Form a straight line and make sure there are no more than 15 of you. 

5 ways to be a good driver: 

1. 1. Stay alert when you’re near cyclists and protect the most vulnerable road users.
2. 2. Remember that the road belongs to all users and that cyclists don’t have to stay in dedicated bike lanes.
3. 3. As a courtesy and for safety reasons, avoid splashing cyclists, opening your car door as someone bikes by, or honking to get your point across.
4. 4. When you pass a cyclist, slow down and maintain the legal distance under the HSC (1 m if the speed limit is 50km/h or less and 1.5 m if the speed limit is greater than 50km/h).
5. 5. When preparing to turn left or right, start by checking your rearview mirror and blind spots, let people who have priority go first, and make sure there aren’t any cyclists or pedestrians crossing the intersection. 

How well do you know the Highway Safety Code?

Significant changes were made to the HSC in 2018. Whether you’re a driver, cyclist, or pedestrian, it’s always a good idea to refresh your memory and go over the rules that apply. CAA-Quebec has put together a list of road rules to know and follow.

For more about sharing the road as a driver or cyclist, see: 

1. How about we share the road?
2. Bicycles, pedestrians, cars: the road is for everyone!
3. CAA-Quebec and Vélo Québec are sharing the road… How about you?