Impaired drivers focus of May SGI traffic blitz

REGINA – Police across Saskatchewan are focussing their May traffic spotlight on impaired drivers in the province.

In 2012, there were more than 1,300 collisions involving impaired drivers, killing 67 people and injuring over 700.

One family struck by tragedy involving an impaired driver is the Hoeving’s.

“When two police cars show up your house at 3 a.m., you know something is wrong,” said Dwayne Hoeving.

His daughter, Melissa, was killed when her car was struck by an impaired driver who ran a red light doing 137 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

The 21-year-old SIAST graduate had been out with friends that evening.

“Melissa was my oldest, my baby, my honey bee,” said Hoeving.

“When a life is taken away unnecessarily, when it’s senseless like that, it’s even harder to take. It’s a life sentence for us.”

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Along with impaired drivers, police will also be on the lookout for distracted drivers and speeders.

New laws that come into effect on June 27 will see harsher penalties for impaired drivers including longer suspensions, vehicle seizures and mandatory ignition locks.

“If everybody tells one person not to drink and drive, that could be one life you’re saving,” said Hoeving.

“If you have to ask yourself if you’ve had too many to drive, you’ve had too many.”