The Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) has launched a public review for a proposed safety standard aimed at reducing risks associated with heavy vehicles in urban environments. The draft standard, BNQ 1030-100, focuses on evaluating and improving direct and indirect vision for heavy vehicles, which are often linked to serious safety challenges due to their size, weight, and blind spots.
The proposed standard outlines methods for determining a safety index for heavy vehicles’ direct and indirect vision, while also addressing auxiliary safety equipment like alarms, lights, and side bars. Stakeholders, including members of the public, are invited to provide feedback on the draft until March 12, 2025.
“The BNQ and the standardization committee it has set up invite all stakeholders to contribute to the development of this draft standard, which aims to ensure a safer sharing of our roads,” said Isabelle Landry, principal director of the BNQ.
The standard is part of Quebec’s 2023–2028 Road Safety Action Plan, introduced by Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Geneviève Guilbault. It also aligns with the Vision Zero approach, which seeks to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by road collisions.
“Last year, I introduced an ambitious road safety action plan, in which we committed to making our roads safer for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable users,” Guilbault said. “This consultation, aimed at regulating heavy-vehicle traffic in urban areas, marks another step towards achieving our objective.”
Heavy vehicles operating in urban settings pose unique risks due to limited visibility and the density of vulnerable users, including cyclists and pedestrians. The standard seeks to address these risks by encouraging the adoption of improved safety systems and better design standards for urban heavy-vehicle use.
Montreal city councillor Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transportation and mobility, said the growing presence of heavy vehicles in urban areas makes this initiative essential. “Thanks to this new tool, it will be possible to regulate heavy vehicle traffic on our territory and ensure the safety of the most vulnerable users in our neighbourhoods,” she said.
The draft standard was developed with funding from the Ministère du Transport et de la Mobilité durable and the Ville de Montréal. Public input will be reviewed by the BNQ’s standardization committee, and a final version is expected to be published in 2025.