Saskatchewan police cracking down on vehicle equipment violations

Saskatchewan police say they’ve been finding a lot of vehicles with maintenance issues on the province’s roads and highways.

According to the RCMP, Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) officers have laid 4,544 charges and issued 13,523 warnings to drivers in Saskatchewan for inadequate vehicle equipment violations since the start of the year. Since Jan. 1, the owners of 3,250 vehicles have received vehicle defect inspection notices to have those defects repaired.

The Mounties said that since 2018, Saskatchewan officers have charged 30,441 drivers and issued 93,397 warnings for vehicle equipment violations. As well, 35,600 drivers have been given vehicle defect inspection notices.

Since 2018, officers have addressed violations with:

• 8,332 charges and 43,817 warnings for cracked or damaged windshields. An inadequate windshield does not have the same integrity when a collision occurs, which may result in glass shards entering the cabin and injuring occupants;
• 13,332 charges and 5,243 warnings for illegal window tint on the windshield or front side windows. Window tint film reduces visibility in low-light conditions, rendering the vehicle’s operation dangerous for its occupants as well as other road users;
• 1,513 charges and 9,508 warnings for inadequate headlights, taillights or turn signals. Inoperable vehicle lights create an increased hazard to other road users by making it more difficult to perceive a vehicle’s speed and distance, which could lead to a higher risk of collisions;
• 514 charges and 716 warnings for inadequate trailer brake systems, which could fail to activate if the trailer accidentally disconnects from a towing vehicle;
• 191 charges and 621 warnings for tires that are underinflated, have low tread depth or feature exposed inner construction; and
• 61 charges and 189 warnings for trailers that do not have chains or other secondary attachment device adequately attached between a trailer and a towing vehicle.

“It may seem like it’s no big deal to put off getting a headlight replaced, or a windshield crack repaired. It is a big deal. Poorly maintained or broken vehicle equipment can put your safety — and the safety of others on the road — at risk,” Staff Sgt. Kevin Williamson of the CTSS said in a media release.

“That’s why checking for these things is an important part of the job of CTSS officers, who are patrolling the roads of Saskatchewan every day.”

Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan comprises officers from the Saskatchewan RCMP and municipal police agencies.