SGI and Saskatchewan law enforcement made a concentrated effort to weed out impaired drivers last month. Police say 328 offences related to impaired driving were noted during the May Traffic Spotlight. There were 208 Criminal Code charges and 120 administrative licence suspensions.
While it sounds like a lot, the numbers are actually down.
SGI communications said the more than 300 impaired driving offences is lower than they typically see, especially compared to May 2021’s report of at least 500 impaired offences.
“This is lower … it is the leading cause of death on Saskatchewan roads,” said Tyler McMurchy, SGI spokesperson. “Impaired driving is something that is 100 per cent preventable … we want people to make those good decisions when they are going to do anything that potentially impairs them that includes drinking, consuming cannabis or anything else.”
Police also issued 6,112 tickets to drivers for speeding or driving aggressively; 406 tickets issued for not wearing a seatbelt, wearing it incorrectly or having children improperly restrained; and 748 tickets for distracted driving, including 655 drivers caught using a mobile device.
In an earlier media release, SGI’s Auto Fund stated that there are still some misconceptions about what you can and can’t do when it comes to cannabis and driving.
“Some people think that because (cannabis is) legal, they can drive right after using it,” said Penny McCune, Auto Fund CEO. “Others think because Saskatchewan has a ‘zero-tolerance’ for drug-impaired driving, they will fail a roadside test if they have used cannabis several days ago, or within the last month. Neither of those is correct.”
With summer having officially arrived, SGI knows people will be getting together with family and friends but they want to ensure that drivers make arrangements for a safe ride home if they intend to consume alcohol and cannabis.
“We do see collision numbers go up and that includes impaired driving,” said McMurchy. “In the warmer months, they tend to be higher.”
SGI reminds motorists that if they are caught driving impaired, they will face serious consequences like vehicle impoundment, licence suspension, financial penalties and a criminal record.