Police across Sask. target impaired drivers in August safety blitz
SGI says alcohol remains top cause of road fatalities in province
Police across Saskatchewan are targeting impaired drivers in August, in an effort to remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance is supporting the initiative, announced Thursday, and reiterated that impaired driving remains the top cause of road crash fatalities in the province.
"We don't want anybody to wreck their summer," said Tyler McMurchy, SGI's manager of media relations. "We don't want anybody to wreck their August long weekend by getting an impaired driving charge or, even worse, causing a collision that injures or kills somebody."
On Friday, the Crown insurer will release preliminary data on injuries and fatalities from auto collisions in 2018.
McMurchy says that police across the province catch between 200 and 400 impaired drivers each month.
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This month, the public can expect high-visibility checkstops and unmarked police cruisers parked near bars.
This is the first summer following legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, but McMurchy says that cannabis impairment charges have not emerged as a significant concern.
"Cannabis was something that people used before it was legal. What we've heard from law enforcement is that they haven't seen a huge spike in cannabis offences."