The Worst Road in Quebec for 2021 is in Carignan
Over the course of the past month, Quebecers have spoken loud and clear: Chemin de la Grande-Ligne in Carignan is the 2021 winner for Worst Road in the province. Close behind, the Ferry Ramp in Matane and Chemin du 3e-Rang-du-Bic in Rimouski came in second and third, respectively.
Back after a year-long hiatus due to the pandemic, the 2021 Worst Roads campaign once again gave residents a way to draw attention of decision-makers to the state of the province’s roads. Here are pictures of our three “winners” for 2021:
Chemin de la Grande-Ligne, Carignan
Chemin du 3e-Rang-du-Bic, Rimouski
“The Worst Roads list sends a message to the authorities from the public about the terrible state of the roads in Quebec,” said Sophie Gagnon, Vice President of Public Affairs and Road Safety. “We’ll follow up in a few months to let people know what the government plans to do to improve the roads they called out.”
Badly damaged roads, but also a newcomer for the sake of mobility
While the usual potholes and craters in pavements across Quebec always find their way onto the list, the final ranking had a surprise for us this year—a “road that’s not a road”: the Ferry Ramp in Matane. But a groundswell of locals took advantage of the campaign to signal their frustrations with the Matane–Baie-Comeau–Godbout Ferry.
The rest of the list is made up of roads that are in pathetic condition, a constant reminder of how much work remains to be done to ensure safe, well-paved roads. Note that all ten roads on this year’s list are first-timers.
Once again Quebec cuts a sad figure as the province with the highest average annual cost to repair road-related damage to vehicles.
What to do if the road damages your car
A lot of people have shared on our social media how frustrated they are at all the damage their vehicles have sustained driving on exceptionally rough stretches of asphalt. Many asked what recourse they had with the authorities, and whether they should—or were required to—file a claim with their insurer.
“These questions come up a lot, and unfortunately our members don’t always have all the information they need to make the right decision,” said Suzanne Michaud, Vice President, Insurance. “Every claim is unique, but as a rule we recommend avoiding making a claim for amounts under $1,000 if possible. It’s simply not worth it when you do the math, considering the deductible you need to pay and the higher premiums for several years after.”
Ms. Michaud also noted that anyone who wants to sue for damage caused by a public road must prove that the responsible authority was negligent, both because it was aware of the road’s condition and it did not take proper action to correct the situation. It can be tedious, but some lawsuits have been successful.
Ranking at a glance
See the 2021 ranking of the Worst Roads in Quebec
See the 2021 ranking of the Worst Roads in each region
Methodology: CAA-Quebec’s Worst Roads campaign ran from April 20 to May 17, 2021. Any road user (motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, truckers) could vote for the worst road in the province on the worstroads.com website. One vote per road per day was allowed. A total of 2,818 votes were recorded to determine the final ranking for the 2021 Worst Roads.
About CAA-Québec
CAA-Quebec is a not-for-profit organization that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services. CAA was named Canada’s most trusted brand in the annual Brand Trust Index for 2021 by the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.
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