Saskatchewan reports fewer fatalities, injuries on roads in the first year of tougher traffic safety laws

Safer driving in Saskatchewan has led to 19% fewer fatalities and 18% fewer injuries in the first year of tougher traffic safety laws, according to preliminary numbers released Wednesday by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).

The statistics, for the year-long period from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, began just after traffic law changes in Saskatchewan took effect on June 27, 2014 as a result of recommendations made by the all-party Special Committee on Traffic Safety, SGI said in a press release. The changes include tougher penalties for high-risk driving offences, such as impaired driving, distracted driving and speeding. The committee also recommended a stronger focus on traffic safety awareness and education activities.

“Early numbers indicate your safe driving has saved 30 lives and prevented more than 1,200 injuries,” Don McMorris, the Minister Responsible for SGI, said in the release. “Thank you to everyone who changed their driving behaviour for the better, helping us reach our 2015 goal.”

The Saskatchewan Road Safety Challenge, a province-wide multi-media awareness campaign with a slogan of “We can drive better,” was launched in May 2014, to complement traffic safety law changes. The goal of the Road Safety Challenge is a 10% reduction in fatalities and injuries in the province by Saskatchewan Day 2015 (first Monday of August), and a 20% reduction by Saskatchewan Day 2017.

On average, 158 people were killed and nearly 6,900 people were injured in traffic collisions each year in Saskatchewan prior to implementation of the new traffic laws (based on the four-year average from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2014), SGI reported. Although SGI anticipates the numbers will increase slightly, for the year-long period from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, there were 128 fatalities and about 5,600 injuries reported as of Oct.1, 2015 – 19% fewer fatalities and 18% fewer injuries.

“It’s very encouraging to see fewer fatalities and injuries, but we all need to maintain safe driving habits and learn new ones and ongoing education, awareness and enforcement will help,” McMorris said. “We can drive better and make our roads safer for everyone. At the end of the day, we all want to make it to our destination, or home to our families, safe and sound.”