SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Police Service’s Traffic Unit addresses a wide range of traffic-related issues in the city, including illegal drag racing on the streets, which has become a growing concern.
These races are partly promoted on social media platforms where thrill seekers and car enthusiasts secretly organize the events.
Traffic Unit Head Inspector Tony Landry, during his report at the Saskatoon Police Commission meeting on Thursday, March 20, said he has seen firsthand how quickly these gatherings can escalate into dangerous situations, often putting lives at risk.
“[An] emerging challenge has been the rise of unauthorized car rallies and gatherings, often resulting in dangerous driving and behaviour, including speed contests and stunts. [This year], the Traffic Unit plans to develop operational strategies to address this ongoing issue. The Traffic Unit continues its purpose of enforcement and education to improve road safety,” said Landry.
“In 2024, the unit issued 115,000 traffic tickets, with the highest number of violations, including speeding, over 3,800 driving law violations, and unregistered vehicles. The unit also recorded 621 personal injury collisions and, unfortunately, nine fatal collisions, showing a 4.3 per cent increase in serious crashes.”
The Traffic Unit comprises specialized officers dedicated to promoting road safety and enforcement, conducting collision investigations, and providing proactive community education. In 2021, the Traffic Unit was reinstated to oversee traffic operations, ensuring greater coordination.
They also offer two specialized services: collision analysis and crime investigation and automated traffic enforcement. The enforcement remains the same for traffic offences, including driving, distracted driving, speeding, and seatbelt violations. The unit also supports the Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s safety programs, policies, laws, school and work zone violations, impaired driving, and health and safety concerns.
Landry said that Saskatoon is not the only city where illegal races are being held, as it has become a nationwide issue with many of them originating from larger cities to the west. Social media helps spread the word about where and when these drag racing events would occur, communicating underground and maintaining anonymity, making it easy for them to coordinate.
“The Traffic Unit had always been dedicated to ensuring road safety, and it was no different now. However, despite our best efforts, the rise in illegal car rallies was becoming more challenging to combat. The issue was no longer just about speeding. It had grown into a full-fledged problem of reckless stunts, street takeovers, and high-speed contests that attracted hundreds of spectators and participants. In some cases, the drivers were endangering themselves and innocent bystanders,” said Landry.
“Car race. As we saw last year, it was on social media-created events that were taking place on our city streets. We see an increase in that type of activity here. Trends tend to originate from the West, primarily through social media. We're also starting to catch up to that."
Landry said they plan to use different strategies, such as partnering with local community groups to gather information before the races take place and the illegal activities escalate.
“We're working with our community mobilization unit well in hand for an operational plan to take place so that we can work with our business partners in that area and come up with some ways to curb that activity,” he said.
