Submitted by SGI
Law enforcement from across Saskatchewan reported 409 offences related to seatbelts or car seats as part of the February Traffic Safety Spotlight.
Of those 409 offences:
• 344 tickets for a driver failing to properly wear a seatbelt
• 37 tickets to a passenger (age 16 or older) failing to properly wear a seatbelt
• 13 tickets for driving with a passenger under 16 not wearing a seatbelt
• 15 tickets for driving with a child not in the appropriate child restraint.
Drivers are responsible for making sure passengers under the age of 16 are wearing their seatbelts or are in the appropriate car seat or booster seat. For each passenger under 16 who isn’t, it will cost the driver an additional $175 and three demerits.
The vast majority of people in Saskatchewan do buckle up. February’s results – and the hundreds of seatbelt tickets issued every other month – are a good reminder that police continue to watch out for the small percentage who don’t.
A $175 ticket and three demerits under SGI’s Safe Driver Recognition Program are costly reminders, but not nearly as costly as the potential consequences of failing to fasten your seatbelt.
You are much more likely to be seriously hurt or killed in a collision if you’re not wearing a seatbelt. In 2017, 16 people were killed and 148 people were injured in vehicle collisions in Saskatchewan due to being improperly restrained or not buckled up at all.
Ensuring everyone in the car is properly buckled up is quickest and easiest thing you can do to protect yourself while behind the wheel.
Not sure which seat is the best fit for your child? You can attend a free car seat clinic or book an appointment with a car seat technician to learn how to properly install your seat.
Other results from the February spotlight included:
• 224 impaired driving offences (including 192 Criminal Code charges)
• 563 distracted driving offences (512 of those for cellphone use)
• 4,028 speeding/aggressive driving offences
