Why are there more road accidents during Quebec's construction holiday?

The construction holiday, for most people, means two weeks off work, warm weather and a chance to travel around the province.

Butfor the Sret du Qubec itmeans more accidents onQuebec's roads.

"The construction holiday is always ourtwo deadliest weeks in the year," said Paul Leduc, a spokesperson for the SQ.

The spike in deadly accidents, he said,can be linked to an increase in the number of people on the road.

"It's the holidays. People don't work, they tend to party a little more, stay out late a little more and take risks, unfortunately," said Leduc.

Over the past five years, an average of 16 people have diedin vehicle accidents the during two-week construction holiday. So far this year, there have been 11 crashes and 11 deaths. The construction holiday ends Aug. 3.

"That'salmost one person a day since the construction holiday started," said Leduc.

Speed is the number one cause of accidents

The SQ has been tracking the number of accidents in the province during the construction holiday for more than a decade.

Speeding is the number one cause of these accidents,said Leduc. Accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol, however, are on the decline.

The SQ was giving out around8,500 DUI offences per year. That number since dropped to 5,500 per year, Leduc said, noting that reflectsa Canada-wide trend.

Butdrunk driving is still the third leading cause of road-related fatalities in Quebec.Distracted driving such as texting at the wheel isnumber two.

SQ warns drivers to take precautions as well

The SQ takes measures to mitigate the number of accidents during the construction holiday, including putting more officerson the road.

"There is a lot of overtime being put in to patrol [this week] and next weekend," said Leduc.

Despite these measures, the SQ emphasizes that it is also the responsibility of the public to look after their ownsafety during the holiday. Leducadvises drivers to followthe speed limitand abstainfrom drinking alcohol when driving.

"We have to remind people how important it is to follow the rules so they can come back from this holiday in good health," he said.