Sask. police net hundreds of drivers with suspended/invalid licence

SGI’s traffic safety spotlight for November showed hundreds of drivers were on the roads with a suspended or no licence.

Across Saskatchewan there were 328 offences for driving while suspended or disqualified, 804 cases of operating a vehicle or trailer without valid registration and 316 instances of driving without a licence or failing to abide by licence restrictions.

“If you’re driving while you’re suspended or disqualified you’ve been told that you’re not allowed to be behind the wheel of that vehicle,” SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy said.

McMurchy added that there are upwards of 15,000 people in the province with suspended or restricted licences. This can include suspensions for impaired driving conditions or medical reasons.

“One of the messages we want to get out is do not risk it. There are more than 140 automated licence plate readers in law enforcement vehicles in Saskatchewan,” McMurchy said.

“These devices can flag not only unlicenced vehicles, but also drivers associated with vehicles. So if the registered owner of that vehicle is suspended for any reason the automated licence plate reader can pick that up as well.”

Driving an unregistered vehicle can net a $580 fine. Driving on a suspended licence can potentially result in criminal charges.

Invalid or suspended plates don’t carry insurance so if the vehicle is involved in a collision, the driver is liable for paying all damages.

Other items in the SGI spotlight include 288 impaired driving offences and 728 distracted driving offences.

McMurchy urges people to find a safe ride home for the holidays, whether that’s a designated driver, taking the bus, Operation Red Nose and a variety of other designated driving services.

The 728 distracted driving offences include 601 for cellphone use. Based on SGI numbers, distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions in the province, and second for fatalities behind impaired driving.