What’s New: In Brief (November 27, 2009)

Wadena has won SGI’s 2009 Seatbelt Challenge in the Saskatoon Health Region and will receive up to $50,000 for traffic safety improvements in its community.The 2009 edition of the Seatbelt Challenge pitted the communities of Wadena, Lanigan, Watrous and Wynyard against each other in a friendly competition to see which community could most improve its seatbelt use.Results from two roadside surveys — one in May and one in September —conducted in each community to measure seatbelt use  were used to determine the community with the highest percentage gain in usage between surveys.Wadena increased its seatbelt use by 59%. In 2008 alone, 58% of fatalities on rural roads and 67% of fatalities on First Nations roads involved unbelted occupants.In other years as much as 100% of fatalities on First Nations’ roads involved unbelted occupants.

Legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones while driving, passed through third and final reading today in Saskatchewan. It will become law Jan. 1, 2010.The new law prohibits all drivers from using hand-held mobile devices to talk, text, email or surf the Internet while driving.Experienced drivers will be allowed to use hands-free devices while driving. New drivers, meaning drivers in Saskatchewan’s Graduated Driver’s Licensing program, will not be able to use cellphones of any type while operating a motor vehicle.The penalty for an offence associated with this law will be Cdn$280, which includes a victims’ surcharge of Cdn$60, and four demerit points under the Safe Driver Recognition and Driver Improvement programs.