Quebec coroner calls for mandatory sirens on snowplows

A Quebec coronoer is calling for sirens to be mandatory on snow plows after a woman was struck and killed in 2024.

A Quebec coroner is calling for changes to road safety rules after a senior was fatally struck by a snowplow in January 2024.

According to coroner Eric Lepine’s report, 75-year-old Evelyn Liesegang didn’t see or hear the plow. The report also found that the vehicle wasn’t equipped with an automatic alarm that activates when the truck reverses.

The coroner says a device like that could have caught her attention.

He’s now recommending the SAAQ update it’s highway safety code to make them mandatory on snowplows. The SAAQ says it will study the recommendation.

The City of Montreal’s snow-clearing trucks have sirens, and most private contractors use them as well, according to the president of Quebec’s Private Snow-Removal Contractors' Association.

But he adds that during the winter, it’s optional to use them and some drivers turn them off to avoid bothering people.

“I agree with the recommendation,” says Mario Trudeau. “Everything that can protect citizens must be put in place.”

The coroner also writes that he recognizes the devices are noisy and might bother people, but they would improve pedestrian safety.