Saskatchewan Government Insurance says police in the province issued an all-time high number of distracted driving tickets in October: A grand total of 1,290. Of those, over 11 hundred were for cell phone use. 142 of the tickets were for Driving Without Due Care and Attention. SGI says distracted driving is a leading safety concern. It was a factor in 22 fatalities and 774 injuries last year. It’s so bad, the province will increase the penalties in February. Tickets will start at $580 for a first offense along with four demerit points. A second offense within a year is $1400 and another 4 demerits, plus the vehicle would be impounded for 7 days with the owners responsible for towing and fees. The third offense within a year is $21-hundred, another 4 demerits, and another 7 day vehicle seizure.
Other tickets issued in October included 324 for Impaired Driving, 6,583 for speeding or aggressive driving and 387 for improper seatbelt or child restraint issues.