With the numbers finally in, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has confirmed that there were 22 speeding-related deaths in the province in 2016.
The insurer also revealed that there were more than 124,000 speeding tickets written that year, and that another 579 people were injured on provincial roads in accidents where speed was a factor.
“Our reaction was whoa, that’s a lot of speeding convictions,” SGI manager of media relations Tyler McMurchy told CBC News.
McMurchy explained that SGI hopes to put a spotlight on the issue of speeding and aggressive driving in the province by sharing the release to the public, as part of April’s “Traffic Safety Spotlight.”
“We want to tell people that there is no need to speed. Posted speed limits are not suggestions,” he added.
In an effort to deter reckless speeding, the base fine of speeding tickets will increase by $30 and any per-kilometer extra charges will double on May 01, 2018. At present, those who are caught going 20 km/h over the speed limit pay $130; after the increase, the same violators will have to pay $190. Drivers who violate the rules in school and/or construction zones will be subjected to even higher fines.
McMurchy added that officers can also give motorists tickets for going under the speed limit, if they are considered too fast for the road conditions.
“Driving faster than the speed limit or too fast for road conditions is a high-risk behavior and it disrupts your control and reaction time,” he remarked.
