Regina, Saskatchewan — January 24, 2016 — According to Saskatchewan General Insurance, more than 300 impaired drivers were stopped by police during December’s province-wide traffic safety spotlight on impaired driving.
In total, there were 308 offences related to alcohol or drug use throughout the month, including:
– Eight low Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) offences (drivers with a BAC ranging from .04 to .08)
– 300 Criminal Code charges such as high BAC (exceeding .08), impaired driving or refusing a breath test
Law enforcement also issued 3,124 tickets for speeding/aggressive driving, 145 tickets for distracted driving (95 of those for cellphone use), and 229 occupant restraint tickets1.
Saskatchewan introduced tougher impaired driving laws in 2014, including longer licence suspensions, immediate roadside vehicle impoundments, and mandatory ignition interlock for convicted impaired drivers. There is now also zero drug and alcohol tolerance for drivers under 19 years of age, and for all drivers in the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program and Motorcycle GDL program.
