74 tickets issued in June to new Saskatchewan drivers not following licence restrictions

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) reported on Friday that June’s province-wide traffic safety spotlight resulted in law enforcement issuing 74 tickets to new drivers and new motorcycle riders not following the restrictions outlined on their learner or novice licence.

SGI said in a press release that among the tickets were 51 for driving as a learner without a supervising driver; 21 for failing to comply with a licence endorsement or restriction; one for exceeding zero tolerance for alcohol or drug use; and one for failing to display the proper learner or novice placards on a motorcycle.

Law enforcement throughout the province also issued an additional 5,240 traffic violations to other road users throughout June, including 3,985 speeding/aggressive driving offences, 254 impaired driving-related offences, 302 distracted driving offences (192 of those for cellphone use) and 407 seatbelt/car seat/booster seat violations. This includes all traffic safety focus results for June submitted by police as of July 19, SGI said in the release.

Police from all over the province joined forces in Prince Albert on June 21 and 22 for a two-day Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) event. All traffic safety violations were enforced, with a special focus on impaired driving, distracted driving (cellphones), speeding/aggressive driving and seatbelts/child seats. Law enforcement officers issued 302 tickets during the two-day blitz, including:

• 91 tickets for speeding/aggressive driving;
• 23 tickets for cellphone use while driving;
• One ticket for failing to stop for red light/stop sign;
• 28 tickets related to light vehicle safety;
• 106 tickets related to commercial vehicles; and
• 53 other traffic offences.

Police continue to focus on aggressive driving in work zones throughout the month of July.

More information is available on SGI’s websites for new drivers and new motorcycle riders.