335 impaired drivers in Saskatchewan caught by police during October blitz: SGI

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) announced on Monday that 335 impaired drivers were stopped during the province-wide focus on impaired driving in October.

The blitz involving SGI and law enforcement officers included 335 offences related to impaired driving, including 314 Criminal Code of Canada charges (impaired driving, blood alcohol content (BAC) over .08 or refusing a blood test) and 21 offences for having a BAC between .04 and .08.

Police also issued the following tickets throughout the month: 3,208 speeding violations; 289 tickets for distracted driving (180 of those for using a cellphone while driving); and 260 tickets for inappropriate or no seatbelt/child safety seat. These results include all traffic safety focus results for October submitted by police as of Nov. 16, SGI added in a press release.

SGI and police continue to focus on impaired driving in November.

Effective Jan. 1, 2017, several traffic safety laws in Saskatchewan will change, pending legislative approval, including:

• Zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs for driver 21 and under and for all new drivers (any driver in the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) or Motorcycle GDL program, regardless of age). The 60-day suspension on first offence, as is the current law, still applies;
• Drivers prohibited from holding, viewing, using or manipulating a cellphone while driving;
• A three-day vehicle seizure for experienced drivers with .04-.08 BAC on a first offence;
• For drivers with .08 – .159 BAC or impaired, one year ignition interlock on first offence, three years on second offence and 10 years for third and subsequent offence; and
• Over .16 BAC or refusing a breath sample: two years of ignition interlock for first offence; five years for second offence; and 10 years for third and subsequent offence.