By CRM Staff
Toronto, Ontario – February 22, 2019 –- Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s January spotlight was a familiar theme, as the public insurer chose to focus on impaired driving.
“Impaired driving remains the number one cause of fatalities on Saskatchewan roadways,” said Tyler McMurchy, SGI Media Relations manager. “By continuously featuring the topic in our spotlights we are able to keep the issue alive and strive towards changing the attitudes of drivers in Saskatchewan.”
Over the course of the January spotlight police across the province reported 224 impaired driving offences, including 194 Criminal Code charges and 30 roadside administrative suspensions.
Last fall new provincial legislation came into place that included zero tolerance for drug-impaired driving. In addition, on December 18, 2018, a new federal law was introduced giving police officers the right to demand a roadside breath sample from any driver lawfully pulled over.
According to McMurchy, Saskatchewan police help by providing additional enforcement to the area the spotlight is focused on.
“In the case of impaired driving, officers will set-up additional checkpoints to look for motorists under the influence,” said McMurchy. “The police will also conduct lower visibility initiatives which include monitoring for impaired customers leaving bars and restaurants to drive home,” McMurchy said.
In January, police in Saskatchewan also reported the following: 640 distracted driving offences (including 545 cellphone tickets), 383 tickets related to seatbelts and car seats, and 5,160 tickets for speeding and aggressive driving.
