SASKATOON – The yearly statistics for traffic tickets from the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) unit are out, and they don’t paint a pretty picture of driving habits in the central region of the province. In 2015, police issued 12,419 traffic tickets.
Over two-thirds of those, 8,666, were for speeding, which includes school and construction zones. Officers also ticketed 120 drivers for going more than 50 km/h over the posted limited. Another 769 were ticketed for exceeding the post limit by 35 km/h.
CTSS members also laid 24 charges over alcohol and drug use while driving.
READ MORE: Saskatoon speed blitz focuses on dangerous residential areas
Another 542 tickets were issued for cell phone usage. As part of blitz to target drivers using cell phones, all 10 officers from the CTSS unit were brought in to target distracted driving, a blitz that will be repeated this year.
CTSS is a combined unit made up of members of the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP, which focuses on traffic enforcement throughout central Saskatchewan.
SPS announced a new initiative Monday to allow people to play a more active role in traffic enforcement.
Starting Tuesday, the Twitter page of the city’s traffic unit will have a poll each week asking people to vote over a 24-hour period for one of three locations for traffic enforcement.
The following day, the location with the most votes will be the enforcement target.
SPS Staff Sgt. Judy McHarg says people often offer suggestions as to where enforcement will take place and this will allow them to do that.
“We see this initiative as a way to give them that opportunity and further engage with our community on a larger scale,” said McHurg.
Saskatoon police will be using the hashtag #SlowDownYXE for the initiative.
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