Despite a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the road, Québec’s safety record has shown steady improvement since the early 1970s. However, the period from 2001 to 2006 was marked by an uptrend in the number of traffic fatalities. The various actors in the area of road safety were forced to conclude that conventional intervention techniques could no longer be relied upon to reduce the number of road accidents. This was the context in which the Minister of Transport established the Table québécoise de la sécurité routière (TQSR – Québec Road Safety Task Force) in December 2005. This discussion forum, which includes approximately fifty members, has a mandate to make recommendations and proposals for action to the Minister of Transport. Since its creation, the TQSR has delivered two reports of recommendations: the first in July 2007 and the second in November 2009. In just a few years, the fifty recommendations that it has made have led to the implementation of a wide range of significant measures dealing with many aspects of road safety. These measures have been very advantageous. Not only has Québec’s road accident record improved, but this improvement has been accompanied by greater public awareness and a higher level of commitment among all of the actors involved. However, the gains that have been achieved remain fragile, and it continues to be difficult to build and maintain social consensuses. In addition, there is still room for improvement in terms of Québec’s record. Therefore, the concerted effort by the TQSR partners will continue, and a third work cycle will begin.
