Under Quebec's existing safety rules, it is prohibited to make a right turn on red at approximately four out of ten intersections having traffic lights in order to ensure the safety of road users. Within this context, allowing right turns on red could come into effect for 1,550 of the 2,587 intersections with traffic lights on the Island of Montreal.
"Our priority is to guarantee the safety of every person. We are going to ensure that this practice is implemented in the spirit of safety and that it enhances our citizens' quality of life at a time when road congestion is more and more a factor that has to be taken into consideration and managed in our daily lives," explained Robert Coutu, Georges Bourelle and Philippe Roy on behalf of the Mayors of the 15 Montreal island suburban cities. These spokespersons are the Mayors of Montreal East, Beaconsfield and the Town of Mount Royal, respectively.
All of us have had the experience of having to stop at a traffic light when the intersection is free of other vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists – and it would have been perfectly safe to make a right turn. This operation is indeed allowed in Laval, Longueuil, Repentigny and Vaudreuil but not on the Island of Montreal in spite of the fact that urban development is exactly the same over a large part of Quebec.
"The impressive improvement in the road safety record over the past four decades points to a higher degree of awareness, greater respect and better road-sharing on the part of users, whether they are travelling by truck, car or bicycle or on foot. This is a reality that applies equally well to the Island of Montreal," said the Mayors in conclusion.
