Changes in the works for distracted driving fines

It seems many drivers in Saskatchewan aren’t getting the message when it comes to distracted driving and staying off their cellphones in their vehicles.

According to SGI, distracted driving is the No. 1 contributing factor in all Saskatchewan collisions. It is the No. 2 factor in fatal collisions in our province.

Joe Hargrave, the minister responsible for SGI, told 650 CKOM’s Brent Loucks on Wednesday that police have said they will be handing out 1,000 tickets for distracted driving this month alone. At $280 per ticket, that translates into a staggering $280,000 in fines.

Hargrave said because people are still using their phones while driving, SGI is looking at making the fines even higher in the hopes that will get people to stop.

“People have to get the message. They’ve got to get the message, and lots of times you have to hit them in the pocketbook,” Hargrave said.

Earlier this week, Saskatoon police handed out 50 distracted driving tickets in one day. Over the weekend, the Regina police traffic unit caught someone watching the Saskatchewan Roughriders game while driving.

Just stopped my 4th person of the shift who was watching a video on their phone while driving. One was the rider game, all others were YouTube. All issued $280 fines. @reginapolice #comeonepeople pic.twitter.com/MKyh5vkLNb

— Cst Mike Hawkeye Seel (@RPSTrafficUnit) October 6, 2019

“Throw (the phone) in your backseat, shut it off, do something. Put it on silent, just leave it, don’t touch it, throw it in your glove box,” said Hargrave.

A portion of the money generated from distracted driving fines goes to the province’s general revenue fund, according to Hargrave.