SGI has a message for drivers in Saskatchewan: “if you drive distracted, you’re going to get caught.”
Distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions in the province and the second-highest factor in fatal collisions behind impaired driving.
Over 6,000 collisions were attributed to distracted driving in 2017, with 26 deaths and 953 injuries.
That is why police in the province will focus on catching drivers not paying attention to the road during October’s traffic safety spotlight.
“Police have plenty of ways to catch distracted drivers in the act,” Penny McCune, the chief operating officer of the auto fund, said in a statement.
“They could be cruising through traffic in unmarked SUVS, they might be in plainclothes on the sidewalks, or maybe they’ll be watching from elevated vantage points overlooking busy thoroughfares.”
Distracted driving isn’t limited to cellphone use – it can also be using a GPS, eating food, or fumbling for a dropped item.
SGI has the following tips for distraction-free driving:
- Put cellphones on Do Not Disturb or Airplane mode while driving.
- Ask passengers to handle answering any messages.
- Can’t leave your phone alone? Toss it in the trunk or backseat.
- Enter destinations in a GPS ahead of time.
- If you drop something, leave it. Don’t fumble around for it.
- Make your drive time, quiet time.
The penalty for distracted driving is $280 and four demerit points – and a second violation within a year could result in the vehicle being impounded for seven days.