SASKATOON – A Saskatchewan-wide traffic blitz will start targeting motorists illegally using cellphones and seatbelts incorrectly on Wednesday and Thursday.
The province’s law enforcement officers will partake in seventh Operation Hang Up, Buckle Up to look for motorists using cellphones and wearing their seatbelts properly. In March the sixth blitz issued 282 tickets.
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According to Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) preliminary numbers, improper or non-seatbelt use contributed to 47 deaths last year. Distracted driving, which includes cellphone use, contributed to 60 deaths and almost 2,200 injuries.
“Wearing a seatbelt decreases your odds of being killed or seriously injured in a crash by 50 per cent,” said Andrew Cartmell, president and CEO of SGI.
Cellphone use while driving results in a $280 ticket and the loss of four points under SGI’s Safe Driver Recognition program.
June’s blitz will be held in conjunction with a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) in Kindersley.
Last month’s province-wide traffic blitz also ran with a STEP in Weyburn. For two days, officers focused on impaired driving and charged seven motorists.
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