Westmount, QC— The city of Westmount is installing cameras and mirrors on nearly all of its snow-removal trucks, in an effort to improve pedestrian safety.
Marianne Zalzal, Westmount's director of public works, says blind spots are the biggest safety issue with large trucks — especially on the right side of the vehicle.
Following a fatal accident in 2005, Westmount installed side guard rails on its trucks. Then, last winter, it installed rear and side cameras on one of its salt trucks as a pilot project.
"It's pretty easy for me to see if someone is at my back or if someone comes out running from the park," snow-removal truck driver Robert Guerin told the CBC.
The side camera shows what's in the blind spot and the rear camera shows drivers if there's anything or anyone blocking their path, Zalzal explains.
The cameras and their installation cost approximately $1,000 per truck.
To date, Westmount has installed cameras on 70 percent of its fleet, including four salt trucks, a tanker and all of the city’s snow loaders.
