It’s one record Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) says no-one should be proud of.
711 distracted driving tickets were issued in the province in March.
That’s the highest number ever reported in the nearly four-year history of Traffic Safety Spotlights, accounting for nearly $200,000 in tickets, more than 2,800 license demerits, multiple vehicle impoundments, and countless lives at risk.
In 2016, 42 people died in collisions where distracted driving was a factor.
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SGI’s Tyler McMurchy says many Saskatchewan residents aren’t getting the message.
“You are responsible for 4,000 pounds of glass and steel,” McMurchy said. “Distracted driving is the number one factor when it comes to collisions, it’s the number one factor when it comes to injuries, and it’s the number two factor when it comes to fatalities on Saskatchewan roads.”
It’s a big step up from the previous record of 636 tickets in one month, set in November last year.
However, McMurchy says a rise in creative police tactics and resources could be driving the number of tickets up.
“Police forces have used creative tactics like Operation Bus Cop here in Regina. Saskatoon Police Force set up an elevated vantage point over Idylwyld Drive North and caught 42 distracted drivers in the course of an afternoon,” McMurchy noted. “The term ‘fish in a barrel’ comes to mind.”
As the weather improves, officers will find more ways to search for distracted drivers, including putting police on bikes and adding more officers to Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan.
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