Quebec police crack down on tailgating with radar guns

The Quebec Provincial Police (SQ) launched a pilot project on Friday, cracking down on drivers who tailgate.

The SQ told CTV News that officers will be trained to use laser radar guns that measure the distance between two vehicles.

A total of 135 radar guns have been deployed.

Andre Durocher of CAA-Quebec welcomes the initiative.

“All the tailgaters out there, beware. The solution is coming,” he said.

Durocher says officers will need to use their judgment.

“Whenever you have a new device that allows you to enforce certain laws, if you want the population to accept it, you need to do it responsibly,” he said.

Durocher is also reminding drivers to maintain a safe distance between vehicles. He said that if it takes a driver less than three seconds to close the gap, the vehicle is too close.

According to the SQ, there were 21,230 collisions between 2019 to 2014, nine per cent of which were primarily caused by tailgating.

The SQ told CTV News that drivers caught tailgating could face a $336 fine and two demerit points.

Some tickets have already been issued in some regions.

SQ officers in the Montreal area will also be trained to use the radar guns.