Summer is peak season on Quebec roads.
The bikes are out, construction is in full swing, and everyone’s trying to get somewhere with a terrasse or a lake at the end of it. It’s also when a lot of us pick up little habits that, as it turns out, can land us a fine.
Quebec’s Highway Safety Code is full of lesser-known rules that are easy to break without realizing, whether you’re behind the wheel or on two wheels. From fuzzy dice to buzzing past cyclists, here are 13 of them that could cost you money, demerit points, or both.
Passing a cyclist too closely
With so many bikes on the road right now, this is one to keep in mind. Drivers are required to leave a buffer when passing a cyclist: at least one metre where the limit is 50 km/h or under, and 1.5 metres on faster roads. Can’t fit that space? You’re meant to ease off and hang back until you can.
Fine: $200 and 2 demerit points
Source: Section 341, Highway Safety Code
Window tint that’s too dark
Tint can give a car a sharp look, but the wrong shade gets expensive. Front-side windows have to let through at least 70% of light, and the windshield is limited to a 15 cm strip along the top. Break those limits and the fines add up fast, especially on heavier vehicles.
Fine: $154 – $274 for passenger vehicles; up to $525 for heavy vehicles
Source: SAAQ
Braking to mess with someone
Slamming the brakes to spook the driver behind you isn’t just a jerk move, it’s against the law. The code specifically prohibits braking “without necessity” when it’s done to bother or confuse another driver.
Fine: $200 – $300 and 2 demerit points
Source: Section 436, Highway Safety Code
Parking the wrong distance from the curb
There’s a sweet spot for parallel parking in Quebec. Leave your car more than 30 cm (about 12 inches) from the curb and you’ve technically broken the rules, which can mean a ticket.
Fine: Varies (typically $53 to $79)
Source: Gouvernement du Québec
Stuff dangling from your mirror
That air freshener, those fuzzy dice, a rosary swinging from the rearview, can all count as an obstruction to your view, and a cluttered dashboard falls under the same idea. A Granby man famously got a ticket back in 2021 for a face mask hanging from his mirror.
Fine: $171
Source: Section 442, Highway Safety Code
“Dooring” a cyclist
Fling your car door open into a passing cyclist without looking, and you’re on the hook for it. The penalty jumped considerably a few years back after a string of dooring incidents. The best habit is a quick shoulder-check before opening, or the “Dutch Reach,” where you open the door with your far hand so your body naturally turns to look.
Fine: $200 – $300
Source: SPVM
Both earbuds in while driving
Cruising with noise-cancelling headphones or an earbud in each ear is off-limits, even if nothing’s playing and you’re not on a call. A single earbud, oddly enough, is fine.
Fine: $100 – $200
Source: SAAQ
Honking when you don’t need to
In Quebec, the horn is strictly a safety tool. Laying on it to vent at a bad driver or wave down a friend can technically earn you a ticket. Though a Habs playoff win might just buy you a pass to honk to your heart’s content…
Fine: $100 or more
Source: Section 256, Highway Safety Code
Going too slow
Speeding gets all the attention, but crawling along can flag you too. If you’re holding up traffic without a good reason, an officer can pull you over for it.
Fine: $100 (or more)
Source: Section 331, Highway Safety Code
Riding no-hands
Popping your hands off the bars to film a video or rummage through your bag might feel harmless, but cyclists in Quebec are required to keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.
Fine: $80 – $100
Source: SAAQ
Headphones while biking
The earphone rule isn’t just for drivers. Cyclists can be ticketed for wearing anything that blocks out the sounds of the road around them.
Fine: $80 – $100
Source: SAAQ
Bringing a passenger on a solo bike
Doubling someone on a bike built for one isn’t allowed unless it’s actually set up for a second rider. Pegs, handlebars and milk crates don’t count as seats.
Fine: $80 – $100
Source: SAAQ
Cycling on the sidewalk
Yes, some roads don’t have bike lanes. But unless you’re under 14 or riding alongside a young child, sidewalk cycling is off-limits pretty much everywhere in the province, and it comes with a fine if you’re caught.
Fine: $80 – $100
Source: SAAQ
