MONTREAL (CP) - Canadian drivers who ignore red lights have given their country a reputation south of the border, where the U.S. State Department is warning Americans to drive through our green lights with caution.
The State Department's travel section includes an advisory about the dangers on Canadian roads, including concerns about red-light runners.
"Drivers should be aware that the frequency with which motorists run red lights is a serious concern throughout Canada," said the State Department, which also cited snow, elk, deer and moose as Canadian road hazards.
"Motorists are advised to pause before proceeding when a light turns green."
Montreal, with its aggressive drivers and roundabout roads, was singled out as an area of particular danger for American motorists.
The travel advisory, dated July 23, warned that "many (Montreal) highways do not have merge lanes for entering traffic," and that "rapid lane-changes without signalling, and tailgating are common."
U.S. visitors were also cautioned that "emergency vehicles frequently enter the oncoming traffic lane to avoid congestion."
Local transportation advocates said Montreal may have attracted U.S. attention because of lax traffic laws that penalize red-light runners with little more than a ticket even if a pedestrian is struck and killed.
"It's a problem," Claire Roy of the Canadian Automobile Association told CFCF News in a recent interview.
"In Montreal, there seems to be a high rate of collisions at intersections so it's definitely a safety issue that has to be addressed."
Montreal police spokeswoman Natalie Valois said a driver who mows down a pedestrian after ignoring a red light can receive a $148 ticket and lose three demerit points.
"I know it sounds crazy that a person can kill somebody with his car and get off with only a ticket," Valois acknowledged to CFCF.
"That's why we are always making sure we're trying to remind people that running through a red light can bring bad consequences."
Red-light runners cause nearly 1,000 collisions every year in the city, said CFCF. Between 1996 and 2003, red-light running was responsible for 11 per cent of all road fatalities and nearly 13 per cent of all serious injuries, the station added.
Advocates have been pressing the province to install red-light cameras, which exist elsewhere in Canada. But the idea was recently scrapped by the Quebec government.
The State Department's travel section includes an advisory about the dangers on Canadian roads, including concerns about red-light runners.
"Drivers should be aware that the frequency with which motorists run red lights is a serious concern throughout Canada," said the State Department, which also cited snow, elk, deer and moose as Canadian road hazards.
"Motorists are advised to pause before proceeding when a light turns green."
Montreal, with its aggressive drivers and roundabout roads, was singled out as an area of particular danger for American motorists.
The travel advisory, dated July 23, warned that "many (Montreal) highways do not have merge lanes for entering traffic," and that "rapid lane-changes without signalling, and tailgating are common."
U.S. visitors were also cautioned that "emergency vehicles frequently enter the oncoming traffic lane to avoid congestion."
Local transportation advocates said Montreal may have attracted U.S. attention because of lax traffic laws that penalize red-light runners with little more than a ticket even if a pedestrian is struck and killed.
"It's a problem," Claire Roy of the Canadian Automobile Association told CFCF News in a recent interview.
"In Montreal, there seems to be a high rate of collisions at intersections so it's definitely a safety issue that has to be addressed."
Montreal police spokeswoman Natalie Valois said a driver who mows down a pedestrian after ignoring a red light can receive a $148 ticket and lose three demerit points.
"I know it sounds crazy that a person can kill somebody with his car and get off with only a ticket," Valois acknowledged to CFCF.
"That's why we are always making sure we're trying to remind people that running through a red light can bring bad consequences."
Red-light runners cause nearly 1,000 collisions every year in the city, said CFCF. Between 1996 and 2003, red-light running was responsible for 11 per cent of all road fatalities and nearly 13 per cent of all serious injuries, the station added.
Advocates have been pressing the province to install red-light cameras, which exist elsewhere in Canada. But the idea was recently scrapped by the Quebec government.
