There was both good news and bad news on Saskatchewan roads last month; although there were plenty of impaired driving offences in the province during the month of January, distracted driving continues to be on the decline.
The Traffic Safety Spotlight was on impaired driving in January. During that period, 284 offences were reported, according to SGI. This includes 231 Criminal Code charges and 53 roadside administrative suspensions.
Impaired driving remains the leading cause of death on Saskatchewan roads.
Meanwhile, tickets issued for distracted driving declined for the third consecutive month. Police issued 509 tickets for distracted driving in January, including 405 for cellphone use. To compare, police issued 653 distracted driving tickets in November (including 560 for phone use) and 534 in December (with 408 tickets for cell phone use).
Distracted driving penalties increased as of Feb. 1.
Other highlights from January’s Traffic Safety Spotlight include:
- 428 tickets related to seatbelts and car seats;
- 5,563 tickets for speeding and aggressive driving.
Distracted driving is the focus of February’s Traffic Safety Spotlight.
