The number of people charged in Saskatchewan with impaired driving during the month of December dropped to a four-year low.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) said Thursday that police across the province laid 238 impaired-related charges during the month during its traffic safety spotlight.
That compares to 353 impaired driving charges in 2016, 308 in 2015, and 381 in 2014.
Police laid 205 criminal charges during the month – ranging from having a blood alcohol concentration exceeding .08 to refusing a breath test – along with 33 roadside suspensions.
While impaired driving charges may be down, the number of distracted drivers remains high.
Police laid 526 distracted driving charges during the month, 443 for using a cellphone.
That is down from November, when police laid a record 636 distracted driving charges.
Fines for distracted driving start at $280 and a second offense within a year could result in a vehicle being impounded for seven days.
Officials said that impaired driving is the leading cause of traffic fatalities in Saskatchewan while distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions and injuries.
Police also charged 3,969 drivers with speeding or aggressive driving during December, which does not include photo radar numbers, and handed out 216 seatbelt or car seat infractions.
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