Saskatchewan Government Insurance says there were 295 impaired driving offences in December. That included 249 Criminal Code charges. There were over 47 hundred tickets issued for speeding or aggressive driving and over 300 tickets for improper seatbelt or child restraint use.
On a more positive note, distracted driving offences dropped for the second month in a row. There were 534 distracted drivers caught, including 408 for cellphone use. But that was the lower monthly total in all of 2019. For some perspective, for the first 10 months of the year, the monthly average was nearly 900 tickets. It hit an all-time record of 1,290 in October.
Come February first, the cost of distracted driving will jump dramatically. Right now, a ticket is $280 plus 4 demerits. As of February 1st, a first offence will cost $580 plus 4 demerits. A second offence within a year of the first conviction is $1400 and an additional 4 demerits, plus your vehicle would be impounded for 7 days with the owners responsible for towing and impound fees. The third offence if it’s within a year of the first ticket is $21-hundred and another 4 demerits and another 7 day vehicle seizure.