SGI said it was “March madness” on Saskatchewan highways after a record number of speeding and aggressive driving tickets were handed out during the month.
“‘March madness’ is a term generally associated with college basketball,” SGI said Thursday in a release.
“It might be a more apt description of the huge number of speeding and seatbelt tickets reported by Saskatchewan law enforcement last month.”
SGI said there were 8,734 speeding and aggressive driving offences during March, and 657 offences for seatbelt or child seat violations.
“Drivers need to know they are responsible for making sure every passenger under the age of 16 is properly buckled in,” SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy said.
The numbers are the highest recorded in those categories since traffic safety spotlights were started by SGI in 2014.
It’s a timely reminder to slow down and buckle up with the Easter long weekend here, SGI said, as the risk of a crash doubles on long weekends.
Fifteen people are killed and 535 others injured each year in collisions over long weekends in Saskatchewan, according to statistics from SGI.
Police also issued 748 distracted driving tickets during the month, which was the focus of March’s traffic safety spotlight.
“I had a gentleman who had three cell phones, an iPad and a GPS, all attached to his windshield obstructing his view. They were all on at the same time,” Regina police Cst. Michael Seel said.
“I’m not sure why people aren’t getting it, but it’s a very easy fix to not do it.”
There were also 319 impaired driving offences reported by police, SGI said.
WATCH BELOW: Excessive speeding on the rise in Saskatoon (August 2018)