This April, SGI and law enforcement are shining the Traffic Safety Spotlight on suspended drivers and unregistered vehicles.
Drivers can be suspended and/or have their vehicles impounded for driving impaired* and other unsafe driving behaviours. There are actually quite a few different reasons a driver’s licence can be suspended, including missing required driver education classes or because they have a medical issue that affects their ability to drive.
Ensuring that drivers can drive safely is important and suspensions are one tool used to keep our roads safe. With 185 Automated Licence Plate Readers (ALPRs) installed in law-enforcement vehicles across Saskatchewan, suspended drivers are more likely than ever to get caught, as these devices read every single plate that passes them and flags any vehicle that is unregistered or belongs to a suspended driver. Drivers caught with a suspended licence may have their vehicle impounded and be given a court summons. Depending on the offence, different additional penalties apply upon conviction, which could include an expensive fine, an even longer licence suspension, or even jail time. And that’s not the only potential consequence.
“When someone drives with a suspended licence or in an unregistered vehicle, may not have insurance coverage if they cause a collision,” said Penny McCune, Chief Operating Officer of the Auto Fund. “Uninsured drivers can find themselves on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars resulting from damages and injury benefits to the other people involved.”
Driving an unregistered vehicle will result in a $580 fine and could lead to your vehicle being impounded
Follow Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan on Twitter for a look into the work law enforcement are doing this month. SGI will be sharing more information on suspended drivers and unregistered vehicles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
*Every impaired driving offence results in an immediate roadside suspension, with the length dependent on the severity of the offence and whether the driver is a repeat offender. If a driver is charged under the Criminal Code, they are suspended indefinitely until the charges are dealt with in court (or the driver is eligible for an Ignition Interlock). A conviction of a Criminal Code impaired driving offence results in a minimum one-year prohibition, (or until eligible for an Ignition Interlock), with longer prohibitions for repeat offenders or more serious offences. All impaired driving offences come with mandatory impaired driver education. Failure to complete these courses also results in the suspension of driving privileges.
