88 tickets issued to new Saskatchewan drivers, motorcyclists in June: SGI

Law enforcement officers across Saskatchewan issued 88 tickets to new drivers and motorcyclists who weren’t following the requirements outlined on their licences, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) reported on Monday.

The results from last month’s traffic safety spotlight on new drivers included 66 learner drivers who were caught for driving without a supervising driver; 20 tickets for not following the restrictions or riding without the appropriate endorsement; and two tickets for not displaying the appropriate ‘L’ (Learner) or ‘N’ (Novice) placard on their motorcycle.

Although the monthly focus was on new drivers and motorcyclists, law enforcement was still on the lookout for any drivers not following the rules of the road, SGI said in a statement. The following tickets were also issued in June: 4,762 tickets for aggressive driving or speeding; 441 tickets for inappropriate or no seatbelt/child restraint; and 436 tickets for distracted driving (307 for cellphone use while driving).

The results include those submitted by police as of July 18.

There were also 376 impaired driving violations province-wide in June. Three hundred and thirty-three of those were charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, meaning that drivers exceeded .08 blood alcohol content (BAC), failed a standard field sobriety test for drugs or alcohol or refused a breathalyzer altogether. “It’s important to remember that refusing to give a breath sample has the same consequences as exceeding the limit,” SGI said in the statement.

Tougher consequences around vehicle seizures, licence suspensions and mandatory ignition interlock were implemented this past January. New drivers and all drivers 21 and under will have their vehicle seized for three days and licence suspended for 60 days if they’re caught driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their system. Experienced drivers can now have their vehicle seized for three days for driving with a BAC over .04. Last month, SGI reported, 43 drivers lost their licence and vehicle for three days for driving between .04 and .08 BAC.

Police continue to focus on work zone safety for the month of July. Results from that traffic safety spotlight will be available in the third week of August.