Summer is winding down as the Labour Day weekend is upon us, which means many residents and visitors to Saskatchewan will be travelling to enjoy what’s left of the warm months.
Whether your long weekend travel plans are to visit a cabin, go camping or catch the Saskatchewan Roughriders in action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan, law enforcement is reminding drivers to be safe when on the road.
“We’re going to see a lot more traffic on the road, which is typical for long weekends. That’s when we’re seeing most of our serious injury collisions and our fatalities across Saskatchewan.”
S/Sgt. Chad McLeod, district commander for traffic services north for the Saskatchewan RCMP, says the Labour Day weekend is always a busy one for police.
Saskatchewan RCMP will be active throughout the weekend with some enforcement projects across the province.
McLeod admits their operations will consist of both covert and overt enforcement. He says their overt enforcement involves fully marked RCMP vehicles that stand out, but provides a “great officer presence that does affect driving behaviour.“
However, he notes that RCMP are also looking at increasing their covert enforcement — unmarked vehicles.
McLeod says it’s important for people to understand officers are out there for a reason — public safety.
“I operate a completely unmarked Ford pickup truck and the number of violations that I witness on the roads are astounding,” discusses McLeod. “It’s only because (drivers) don’t know that somebody is watching and they don’t know the police are there. So people need to believe we are there.”
SGI is reminding motorists to exert patience when driving, considering highways will be busier with higher traffic volumes along with road construction and farm equipment due to harvest season.
“Over the past number of Labour Day weekends, the last three years we have seen between 200 to 300 collisions, between 40 to 60 injuries, and unfortunately, we do see people lose their lives,” mentions Tyler McMurchy, a spokesperson for SGI.
Speeding is the most common traffic violation year round in Saskatchewan, McMurchy says. However, he notes that impaired driving is still the leading cause of collisions that kill people on Saskatchewan roads.
McMurchy says its key for drivers to take precautions when they’re travelling in order to not be involved in an avoidable motor vehicle collision.
“Watch the speed limit, buckle up, drive without distractions and, of course, always drive sober. Everybody will get where they are going and we will have a great end to summer.”
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