Montreal, Quebec – If you don’t have your winter tires on your vehicle, you may want to get that done–as of today, winter tires are mandatory in Quebec, and will be until March 15.
The federal government of Canada has always recommended the use of winter tires, however in the province of Quebec, the provincial government has announced that winter tires are mandatory on all vehicles including taxis, rental vehicles, mopeds, motorized scooters, and, motorcycles.
According to Groupement des assureurs automobiles, collisions on average are 30 per cent higher during the winter months.
“We see this trend every year: there are more road accidents during the winter months, and many are avoidable. It’s therefore important that drivers be twice as careful and thus avoids a nasty accident,” said Anne Morin, supervisor, public affairs at (GAA).
In 2019 show there were 225,858 car accidents in the first and fourth quarters of the year, up 27 per cent from the second and third quarters, stated GAA.
The penalty for getting caught driving without winter tires from now until March is a fine between $200 and $300 plus costs.
GAA stressed the importance of reducing speed when the road conditions are not great and maintaining enough distance between your vehicle and the one in front, so you can break-in time. By doing these small things, your risk of being involved in an at-fault collision is reduced and you avoid having a loss of life on your conscience.
If an accident does occur, GAA recommends you always have a “Joint Report” handy, whether in paper format, or e-format on your cell. That way you can quickly inform your insurer about the accident that just took place.
“The app is user-friendly and allows the insurer to receive readable information quickly. It makes settling a claim much easier,” noted Morin.
GAA’s mission is to make auto insurance accessible and streamline claim settlements. For more information, click here.
