SGI has issued the findings of their February spotlight program, which was designed to shine a light on impaired driving prevention.
The report says 330 people were charged in the last month with impaired driving. Of those, 262 resulted in criminal code charges and 67 roadside driver suspensions.
SGI says one of their top priorities working with law enforcement is preventing impaired driving, and in that they’ve seen strides. However, in spite of that, they note that impaired driving is still the leading cause of death on Saskatchewan roads and is 100 per cent preventable.
They also explain that even if someone doesn’t get into an accident driving impaired, it still has very heavy consequences.
They say that someone caught driving this way could face license suspensions, vehicle impoundment, an ignition interlock put in their car, costly Driving Without Impairment and Safe Driver Recognition courses, and in cases fines or jail time.
Also in February , 4,917 tickets were given out for speeding or dangerous driving, 402 for seatbelts or child restraints not being used correctly or at all. 664 tickets were given out for distracted driving, this month’s spotlight. 585 of these were for cellphone use.
SGI had secondary focus on licensing and registration in February
As a secondary focus, SGI also spotlighted the importance of having a valid license and registration while out on the road.
In total, police across Saskatchewan caught 409 suspended or disqualified drivers . They also issued 459 tickets for driving an unregistered vehicle.
SGI is also cautioning people that driving in a vehicle that is unregistered can lead to thousands of dollars in damages they could have to pay for if they’ve been in accident.
Even if they don’t get into a collision, a driver caught in an unregistered vehicle could be fined up to $580.
Driving while suspended means an automatic court summons, and in many cases their vehicle being impounded.