REGINA — There was no checkered flag waiting for the 5,175 Saskatchewan drivers who were caught speeding last month. Instead, those who had a heavy foot were greeted with an expensive ticket from police.
Results from the October Traffic Safety Spotlight revealed 5,175 tickets* were issued for various speeding and aggressive driving offences last month. Among them were numerous tickets issued for some of the more egregious – and expensive – offences:
• 243 tickets issued for exceeding the speed limit by greater than 35 km/h (tickets start at $538);
• 54 tickets for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h (tickets start at $809, and comes with a seven-day vehicle impoundment);
• 151 tickets for speeding in a school zone; and,
• 286 tickets for exceeding 60 km/h when passing an emergency vehicle, tow truck or highway worker.
There were also 16 tickets issued for stunting and one ticket for street racing.
With new penalties for stunting and street racing that were introduced Oct. 1, tickets for those offences are $580, plus four demerits. (Street racing also comes with a 30-day vehicle impoundment, and the ticket costs escalate for repeat offences.)
Excessive speed is one the leading factors in traffic-related deaths and injuries on Saskatchewan’s roads: in 2021, there were 1,263 collisions in which speed was one of the contributing factors, resulting in 554 injuries and 20 deaths, SGI reports.
Posted speed limits are not suggestions. With snow and ice covering many of Saskatchewan’s roads and highways, it’s critical that drivers slow down to adjust to the road conditions.
Other results from the October Traffic Safety Spotlight included:
• 484 impaired driving offences, including 283 Criminal Code charges;
• 352 tickets for people not wearing a seatbelt, or not using the appropriate car seat or booster; and,
• 779 distracted driving tickets, including 664 for using a mobile device.
Along with obeying speed limits, always be sure to drive sober, buckle up and keep your attention on the road, SGI urges.
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*Numbers do not include tickets issued via photo speed enforcement.
