2024 Road Safety Report: A range of possible measures according to CAA-Quebec

Press release
Published on May 23, 2025

This morning, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) unveiled its 2024 Road Safety Report, which unfortunately reminds us that there is still much to be done to further protect road users, especially the most vulnerable. CAA-Quebec is calling for swift, concrete action.

Despite a slight improvement in the number of fatalities on Quebec roads, this peak of 379 deaths remains above the best years recorded for fatalities on Quebec roads, and is 5.6% higher than the average for the years 2019 to 2023, the comparative basis used by the SAAQ. A slight increase in serious injuries (+1.7%) is also noticeable.

The findings are particularly worrying for vulnerable road users, with 80 pedestrians and 13 cyclists losing their lives in 2024, a substantial increase on the average for the last five years. The toll is also high among those aged 65 to 74 (+35% of fatalities) and 45 to 54 (+20.2% of fatalities). However, there is some consolation in the fact that deaths in all age groups from 0 to 34 are down on previous years.

“These data are a sad reminder that there is still so much to be done to protect the most vulnerable road users, reminds André Durocher. It’s our individual duty to take responsibility and think of others when we’re on the road, so that we can do better collectively.”

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“As the SAAQ points out, improvements in the record often result from the sum of actions deployed in awareness-raising, legislation and controls aimed at changing behaviours. The government has the power to go further with concrete actions, but we’re slow to see them actually deployed.”

André Durocher, Director, Road Safety and CAA-Quebec Foundation  

Concrete actions within reach

All in all, what can be done to improve the safety record in Quebec? CAA-Quebec proposes the following four actions:

  1. Imposition of administrative sanctions for drivers with a blood alcohol content of 50mg/100ml: Experts agree on the benefits of this measure, while a new survey confirms that a majority of the population is in favour of such a measure. As CAA-Quebec stated in a recent missive: what have we got to lose if not a few more lives?
  2. Extension of the safety corridor rule to all vehicles stopped at the roadside: 89% of CAA-Quebec members would be in favour of such a measure, which would ensure the safety of more people on our roads.
  3. Considerate implementation of automated enforcement devices (AEDs) in locations where police presence is impractical: Nothing can replace police intervention to influence behaviours, but there is some degree of social approval for the presence of photo radars in locations with high accident rates where it would be difficult to station law enforcement officers.
  4. School drop-off patrols: A recent report by researchers on this project confirms the short- and long-term benefits of school drop-off patrols. To find out more about CAA-Quebec’s School Drop-off Patrols, click here.

Although these solutions alone won’t solve all of Quebec’s road problems, each and every one of them has the power to lead to a better collective result. Everyone must do their part to ensure harmonious cohabitation and to see an improvement in the road safety record. “This is no longer a time for pointing the finger at others, but for acknowledging our own behaviour in order to improve this record, insists André Durocher. We invite all users to demonstrate courtesy, civic-mindedness and cooperation, the three cornerstones of better road sharing.”

Report highlights

  • The number of fatalities rises to 379 in 2024, up by 5.6% on the average for 2019 to 2023. This is the third worst record since 2013 (397 deaths in 2022, 380 deaths in 2023).
  • The number of pedestrian fatalities in 2024 is 60, a worrying increase of 18 over 2023 and 24.6% over the average for this group from 2019 to 2023.
  • The number of fatalities among motorcyclists is 45. This is the third consecutive drop in annual fatalities and a 23.5% drop on the 2019–2023 average.
  • The number of fatalities among occupants of cars and light trucks was 203, up slightly (+1.2%) on the 2019–2023 average. This category accounts for 53.6% of road fatalities in 2024.
  • The number of people involved in accidents (fatal, serious and minor) is 2.6% lower than the average for 2019 to 2023. A total of 28,233 people have been involved in accidents in 2024.

Read the full 2024 SAAQ Road Safety Report.

About CAA-Quebec

CAA-Quebec offers a wide range of assistance services in a wide variety of sectors, drawing on a human approach. As a socially committed organization, CAA-Quebec strives on a daily basis to protect the interests of its members. And in keeping with its values of reliability and benevolence, it fosters responsible consumption and promotes road safety.

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