Here are road safety facts issued by la Sûreté du Québec. There are quite revealing! Drive safe!

Driver fatigue

·	The risk of falling asleep at the wheel is at its highest between 1 and 4 p.m. and between 2 and 7 a.m. (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec).
·	In 40% of fatigue-related accidents, the driver had been awake for more than 17 hours (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec).
·	Half of the drivers involved in a fatigue-related accident had slept less than 6 hours the day before the accident (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec).
·	One Canadian out of five admits to driving while drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the last twelve months (Traffic Injury Research Foundation).

Seat belts

·	Wearing a seat belt reduces by half the risk of being killed or seriously injured in an accident.
·	In a collision at 50 km/h, both front and rear seat passengers are thrown at a force equal to 35 times their own weight, on average. The greater the speed at which a vehicle is travelling, the greater the force at which its occupants are thrown. It is therefore essential that front and rear seat passengers alike wear their seat belt.
·	According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, your chances of surviving a collision will increase by 60% if you buckle up.

Impaired driving

·	You are required to provide a sample of your breath when asked by a police officer. If you refuse, you will be charged under the Criminal Code. If you are found guilty, your sentence will be the same as that imposed for driving while impaired.
·	Drugs affect your ability to drive even if you are under the impression that their effect has worn off.
·	Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs may affect your ability to drive. Consult a health professional.
·	Drugs and alcohol taken together considerably increase your risk of being involved in an accident.
·	Nearly 25% of drivers who died in a car crash had taken drugs.
·	Alcohol is responsible for 30% of deaths, 18% of serious injuries and 5% of minor injuries on Quebec roads each year.

Speeding

·	Many speed-related accidents occur in zones with speed limits of 50 to 70 km/hr.
·	Most speed-related accidents causing injury occur in 50 km/hr zones.
·	If you are travelling 10 km over the speed limit in an urban environment, your risk of being involved in an accident quadruples.
·	Young drivers are not the only ones breaking the speed limit. Speed-related accidents are caused by both male and female drivers from all age groups.
·	If we all drove 5 km under the speed limit, this would reduce the number of injuries and deaths by 15% (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec).