It seems no amount of public education is enough to stop some people from getting behind the wheel of their cars drunk.
Just before Christmas Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) released preliminary results from December's traffic safety blitz dubbed Operation Overdrive.
As of December 19, law enforcement officers throughout the province had checked more than 4,700 vehicles and issued nearly 1,000 tickets.
Of 999 tickets issued, 113 were for impaired driving.
By contrast, last year's two-day Operation Overdrive traffic safety blitz saw 4,200 vehicles checked by law enforcement officers, resulting in 25 drivers charged with impaired driving and a total of 241 tickets issued.
A further 94 drivers received roadside suspensions of driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of over .04.
Saskatchewan leads the entire country in drunk driving offences and traffic fatalities involving alcohol.
Traffic collisions remain the number one cause of death for Saskatchewan residents aged 1-44 and alcohol is the primary contributing factor.
Experts estimate 90 per cent of these collisions could be prevented if people simply followed the rules of the road, hence SGI's monthly blitzes.
This year, police decided to extend the blitz through the entire month of December.
Statistics for the entire period will be released in January.
As of December 19, 2012:
113 for impaired driving
94 roadside suspensions
267 for aggressive driving (speeding, driving without due care and attention, unsafe passing, failing to stop at stop signs, red lights, etc.)
50 for improper or non-seatbelt use
19 for cellphone use while driving
32 for open alcohol in a vehicle
424 other tickets
