With riding season finally here, Quebec wants to improve motorcycle safety, and they’re looking at several ways of doing that.
They’re doing the easy things first, with advertisements like this one. But they’re going to go further than videos – according to CTV, they’re thinking about changing the laws surrounding licensing itself.
CTV is saying the government wants beginning motorcyclists to have squeaky-clean driving records; the government insurance agency (SAAQ) is talking about banning people from taking the motorcycle test if they have four or more demerit points on their drivers license.
They’re also looking at dropping the requirement for motorcyclists on beginners license to only ride with other fully licensed motorcyclists. The SAAQ also wants to train new riders in emergency riding techniques, and is talking about making eye protection mandatory while riding, so motorcyclists can’t ride in open-face helmets with no visor, glasses or goggles.
never happen ,how would they ever sell harleys
Nothing much to argue about here.
Riders with reckless attitudes and lack of skill / experience will benefit from this.
Don’t statistics show that the bulk of motorcycle / vehicle incidents are the fault of the cage driver being unaware of the motorcycle ?
( I might be thinking of motorcycle fatality stats. )
Maybe there ought to be a similar awareness directed at cage drivers.
Inattentive drivers are bad enough.
Distracted drivers need to be pulled off the road !
just sayin’
Could they finally see the light ? That cant be ,will be easier to raise road tax , much safer 😛
I also need an editor in either language
You should see the document that they have issued for discussion.
If you can read french its at http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/publications/prevention/rapport_comite_moto.pdf
Its pretty impressive in its scope.A listing of its recommendations briefly summed up
Visiblity
1-Allowing bikers to use high beams during the day for visiblity
2-Allowing the use of modulated lighting and or auxilllary lights
3-Make mandatory the use of eye protection glasses ,goggle,masks you name it.
4Promote the use of high visibilty clothing
Training -Revise the present traing programs.
Permit
1-remove the dread accompanied rider clause.
2-adding a 12 month aprentice restriction list ,no passengers,zero alcohol tolerance,dusk to dawn curfew.
3-TGo apply for a license ,less than 4 demerit points on your permit and no revcocation of your license in the last 2 years for either demerits or criminal code offences in a vehicle.
4-Graduated licence ie 250cc max to start , 400 or 600 then unlimited.
Promotional
1-promote the visibilty theme and wearing of poper protective riding gear.
Five of those points would require legislative changes.
There are a few other interesting comments in the document.As an example the use of HOV lanes by bikes was noted. It was rejected by transport quebec as impractical since there aren’t that many in Quebec,I would like to argue differently since the Champlain Bridge across the St Laurence has defined bus lanes ,
Overall pretty impressive . Now to ask them to translate this report might be interesting.
“remove the dread accompanied rider clause.”
That right there is intelligent. I’m facing the accompaniment issue should I return to Ontario. I left for Japan some 21+ years ago and let my license expire. Now I find out that Ontario has a graduated license system that would force me to have a licensed passenger in the car with me for a year. Yeah, as if that’s likely to happen if I find myself living in the middle of the boondocks.
Having a licensed driver with you might not be a bad idea, but when there’s no way around it at all, all the graduated license does is either prompt people to break the law or to forgo driving at all till they can test for the next level of license. Stupid.
If you had a license in ontario and it lapsed the time requirements between tests are waived. I know this first hand. I lived and worked in downtown To for 5 years and did not have a car. I moved and forgot to change my address. long story short i suddenly realize my license is not valid. Had to start over. It took a month to go from G1 to G. Only took that long due to waiting lists for tests at MTO. if you go out of town the waiting lists are much shorter.
“If you had a license in ontario and it lapsed the time requirements between tests are waived.”
Unfortunately, that’s only true if the expiry is 10 years or less. Beyond that, according to the guv’s site, full restrictions apply.
Holy smokes! Sounds like a reasoned approach for a government agency to take. Which alternate universe am I in? 🙂