(File photo/CKOM News)

By Roger White

Drive Safely

SGI, Police Warn Motorists Ahead of Holiday Weekend

Oct 6, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is here and many Saskatchewan motorists will be hitting the highways, eager to spend time with family and friends.

However, members of the RCMP and Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) are reminding drivers that if your Thanksgiving plans include drinking or drugs; do not get behind the wheel of your vehicle.

While the numbers for September are not yet available, SGI, reports that in August, RCMP issued 494 impaired driving offenses.

Tyler McMurchy, SGI media relations manager, said despite the warnings Saskatchewan continues its dubious distinction of leading the country in impaired driving statistics.

“We know that the roads are going to get busy this weekend as people will be heading out to visit in other locations, so you definitely want to have a sober driver behind the wheel,” McMurchy said. “We (SGI) just want everyone to get where they are going safely.”

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While most people associate the term “impaired” driving with “drinking”, McMurchy added that the number of drug-related impaired driving offenses has increased dramatically over the past several years.

“We have seen an increase in Saskatchewan when it comes to impaired driving of the number of suspensions related to drugs primarily driven by cannabis and the fact that police not only have breathalyzers that can test your blood alcohol, but they (RCMP) also have oral fluid tests which can detect the presence of cannabis and also in some case cocaine as well.”

In April, Western Buzz reported that drug-related suspensions in the province have skyrocketed since 2019.

The number of drug-related license suspensions jumped from 78 in 2019 to a whopping 859 in 2022.

Another cause of concern for officials is the spate of distracted driving offenses in recent years primarily in connection with using an electronic device while operating a vehicle. September’s numbers from SGI included a staggering 837 tickets for distracted driving which includes using a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle (729) and driving without due care and attention (108).

“We again want to remind drivers that returning that text message or phone call can wait a few minutes,” McMurchy warned. “When you are behind the wheel there is so much for a driver to focus on, like road conditions, the last thing you need is to take your mind off the road and risk disaster because of a text message.”