QUEBEC CITY — The Quebec government has passed a bill that includes several new traffic safety measures, including further restrictions on speeding, cell phone use at the wheel, drinking and driving, and the introduction of traffic control devices like red light cameras and photo radar.

As expected, however, a trucking-specific provision contained in Bill 42 — mandating speed limiters for all trucks operating in the province — was not adopted by Parliament yesterday.

That’s not to say that the specific measure is dead. But as has been reported over the last few weeks, the Quebec Ministry of Transport wants to first see if other Canadian jurisdictions also commit to governing speed of heavy trucks to 105 km/h.

Que wants to monitor how speed limiter proposals are
advancing in other provinces before fully committing to a rule.

“We will have discussions with people in the industry. We need to wait until the status of the project is further developed in other jurisdictions … in order to have a concerted action,” MTQ Information Agent Jean Armand told Today’s Trucking’s sister publication, Transport Routier.

In neighboring Ontario, where the idea of speed limiters was first drafted and promoted by the Ontario Trucking Association, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley is on the verge of introducing similar legislation in the New Year.

Asked if Quebec is willing to be the first out of the gate while other jurisdictions debate the issue, Armand said his ministry wants to at least “see what will happen with surrounding provinces.” But he was clear that Quebec would not put itself on an island by adopting the rule on its own.

Furthermore, Armand noted that the province needs to clarify some technical aspects of the legislation, such as how it would apply to trucks older than 1995, which are not equipped with engine governor technology.

Robert Transport President, Claude Robert — a strong proponent of speed limiter legislation for Quebec and the rest of Canada — isn’t willing to be that patient.

”It’s a mistake. Since when do you ask your neighbor to shovel his driveway before you clean yours? It is stupid,” he told us. “If they (government) are waiting for others to move before doing something, it will never be implemented. They are destroying the project by doing nothing. We need to walk the talk.”

Meanwhile, aspects of the Act that were passed include doubling the fines and demerit points imposed under the Highway Safety Code for excessive speeding. Also introduced is an immediate seven-day licence suspension for such speed violations.

Drivers whose blood alcohol concentration level is in excess of 80 mg in 100 ml of blood will have their licences suspended for 90 days — up from 30 days. An immediate 24-hour suspension for drivers whose blood alcohol level is between 50 and 80 mg will also be imposed.

Police now have the authority to immediately seize, for 30 days, a vehicle driven by a person whose blood alcohol level is in excess of 160 mg.

Also under the bill, the province will install photo radar devices and red light cameras at determined locations for at least 18 months. The owner of the vehicle involved will held responsible unless he can prove that the vehicle was in the possession of a third party without his consent at the time of the infraction. The pilot program will be reviewed 12 months after being implemented.

Most of the provisions of the Act come into force on 1 April 2008.