Distracted driving in Saskatchewan carries a much stiffer penalty now than it did this time last year, and SGI is going to be keeping a close eye on how much of a deterrent that is this month. They announced today their Traffic Safety Spotlight for June would be on distracted driving. 

The price of a distracted driving ticket more than doubled on February 1 of this year, rising to $580 for the first offence and only climbing from there. The pricier tickets may have led to a drop in tickets, but not complete eradication. 

"In the first month after those much stiffer penalties took effect, police still managed to find 647 distracted drivers for the month of February," said media relations manager Tyler McMurchy. "While we have seen numbers come down from the average of nearly 900 per month that police were reporting when distracted driving numbers were reaching their peak in 2019, we know there are still people who are looking at their phones while driving or who are distracted in other ways."

Distracted driving was in the spotlight in February as well due to the increased ticket prices. SGI said in a release this week that it's possible people haven't been driving as much due to COVID-19, and they want to remind people driving distracted is still illegal. 

“The June Traffic Spotlight on distracted driving coincides with Saskatchewan gradually re-opening; drivers can expect more traffic, along with greater numbers of motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians taking advantage of the nicer weather,” said Penny McCune, Chief Operating Officer of the Auto Fund. “We encourage drivers to keep their focus on the road by avoiding their phones and other distractions.”

According to SGI, distracted driving is one of the leading factors in collisions, injuries, and fatalities on Saskatchewan roads. The $580 fine for first-time offenders also includes four demerits on their license. A second ticket sees the fine more than double again, this time to $1400. It also carries a 7-day vehicle impoundment and four demerits. 

A full list of the penalties that took effect February 1 is available on SGI's website.