It came last month in the form of a letter sent by Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) to 550 owners of original Hummers, Bombardier Iltis, Steyr-Puch Pinzgauers and Mercedes-Benz Unimogs:Because those military-type vehicles are designed as Quebec alleges as off-road vehicles, they dont comply with the Highway Safety Code, therefore they could no longer get a regular Je me Souviens registration.That affects recent model-year military-type vehicles, but also those with an antique status (15 years or older, in Quebec).Rather, those military-type vehicles would have to wear the C plate, meaning they would not be allowed anymore on:Quebec roads with a speed limit higher than 70 km/h; All Quebec highways, no matter the speed limit. Basically, the military-type vehicles wouldnt be allowed on almost all provincial roads.And they wouldnt be authorized on Autoroute 520 Cte-de-Liesse and Autoroute 15 Decarie in Montreal, nor on Autoroute 740 Robert-Bourassa in Quebec City suburbs, simply because these are considered highways even with their posted speed limit below 70 km/h.They were going to be totally banned…If Quebec was to rule this way, it would be the only Canadian province with such restrictions for military-type vehicles.But it could have been worse: The actual Quebec Highway Safety Code (article 21) forbids anybody from putting a vehicle into operation on a public highway () if it has been restricted to off-highway use by its manufacturer or importer.This provision was going to be enforced as a total ban on military-type vehicles from La Belle Provinces roads, but the Ministre des Transports du Qubec ushered in, by mid-July, a semi-less-dramatic arrêté ministériel, to be enforced this past 22nd of August.The news was brought to military-type vehicles owners by official SAAQ letters they received between mid-August to end of August. The communication, for which Driving.ca was able to get a copy, stated this: Upon verification, we received confirmations that their manufacturer, or importer, has restricted the use of these (military-type vehicles) for off-road use.Then: We invite you to visit one of our service points to get a new license plate and a new registration certificate. () We remind you that it is forbidden to drive with () and that you could, according to the Highway Safety Code, be liable to fines.Cost of those fines: $200-$300 plus fees (no demerit point).550 owners or… 3000?The (first) problem is, theres six times more military-type vehicles licensed in Quebec than what the government estimates, assesses Philippe Raymond, who is trying, with his fellow members from the Club Véhicules Militaires du Québec, to defuse the bomb.Why such a gap with official numbers?Because the SAAQs data base doesnt have a checkbox for military vehicles, says Raymond. And Ive been told that when they searched with keywords Jeep for the Willys and Dodge for the M37, they got all those other models Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Caravan, Ram So they excluded Jeep and Dodge.For now.The second problem? As you can imagine, when 550 or 3000 people are told they cant drive their passion as freely as before, you see them stepping to the barricades.In our research for this story, we learned that some are daily commuting with their military-type vehicle to work or to pick up the kids at school.Some use them as emergency vehicles to help in natural disasters or search and rescue operations, as seen on this Amateur Radio Operator Bernard Giguère’s Facebook Page.Others are driving them to the campground or the chalet, on roads that my Mazda3 wouldnt be able to overcome, says Philippe Raymond.Ultimately, this resident of La Capitale Nationale, owner of a 1990 Humvee and a 1985 Bombardier Iltis (bought directly from the neighbouring Canadian Forces Base ValCartier), is planning a back-and-forth trip across Canada with his 4 teenagers next summer.But: If things stay as they are, it means I wont have a problem driving across the country but Ill have one when leaving Quebec!Stepping to the barricadesSo, those military-type vehicles owners are stepping to the barricades, especially since the Transport Quebec Minister, Franois Bonnardel, declared that the decision came after suppliers informed his government of potential dangers with these vehicles, in the event of an accident.Not true, maintain the owners interviewed by Driving.ca who, incidentally, are in constant communications with AM General and other military-vehicle manufacturers and distributors:Forget about that, Militaires are known to never give any information! blurts Vincent Simard, who owns a military-vehicles restoration shop in Lévis.Philippe Raymond confirms: I contacted the worlds three largest vehicle manufacturers. The three provided me with official documents from their engineering department stating that their vehicles were designed to run on any type of road and highway, but they have off-road capabilities adapted to military requirements. In
Origin: Road restrictions for military-type vehicles: Quebec is backing off