Quebec road death toll hits 60-year low

Quebec Transport Minister Julie Boulet says drivers are behaving better and it shows in the province's highway death toll, which reached a 60-year low in 2007.

Boulet said 608 people died in road accidents last year, 100 fewer than in 2006 and an all-time low in six decades.

The figure is "very good news" but "there's still a long road ahead to meet our objective" of reducing road fatalities by a further 30 per cent in the next four years, Boulet said Tuesday after releasing the province's annual road report.

The Quebec legislature adopted new road safety laws last December that introduced stiffer penalties for repeat drunk drivers and a photo-radar pilot project on the recommendation of the province's road safety task force.

Jean-marie De Koninck, who chaired the committee, said the drop in deaths is surprising but there is still room for improvement because the majority of accidents are caused by human behaviour.

"Sixty-five deaths could be avoided [every year] if everyone wore the seatbelt," he said on Tuesday. "There are lots of places, lots of areas where we can improve road safety."

Bill 42 also banned drivers from using hand-held cellphones and made snow tires and driver's education mandatory, which will further reduce road accidents, De Koninck said.