Sask. police busted 545 impaired drivers in December: SGI

Impaired drivers kept police in Saskatchewan busy during the month of December.

According to SGI, after all the holiday checkstops wrapped up at the end of the month, police across the province caught 545 drivers who were impaired behind the wheel.

SGI said that led to 183 Criminal Code charges, and 362 administrative suspensions for going over the provincial limits for alcohol or drugs.

The majority of the suspensions – 241 in total – were related to drugs, the Crown insurer said, while the other 121 were related to alcohol.

READ MORE:

• New SGI campaign focuses on preventing impaired driving
• Charges pending after suspected impaired driver hits tree: Police
• Sask. police nabbed nearly 500 impaired drivers in October: SGI

Police in Saskatchewan now have greater access to drug-testing equipment, SGI said, which helps them detect drug-impaired drivers.

“The prevalence of drug-related suspensions coincides with police having more widespread access to roadside oral fluid testers that can determine whether a driver has been using cannabis and other drugs,” SGI explained in a statement.

“Whether it’s for alcohol or drugs, the consequences are essentially the same: a licence suspension (starting at three days; longer if it’s a repeat offence or a new driver), vehicle impoundment, demerits and the requirement to take a weekend impaired driver education course.”

In December, police in the province also issued 3,803 tickets for speeding or aggressive driving, 234 tickets for seatbelt or carseat violations, and 486 tickets for distracted driving.

Of those 486 distracted driving tickets, SGI said the vast majority – 412 – were for drivers using a cellphone while behind the wheel.

SGI to launch ‘Be Alert’ campaign this weekend

SGI is encouraging drivers to pay close attention to the road – and especially at intersections – in a new awareness campaign set to launch on Sunday.

“Nearly half of all collisions happen at intersections,” SGI said in a statement.

“Most collisions can be avoided through safe driving and good choices. Stay focused on the road, leave others enough room, and respect speed limits. If weather, road and/or traffic conditions aren’t ideal, increase your following distance and reduce your speed.”

The new campaign is set to launch on Sunday on radio, TV, print and billboards.