Speeding Focused On In April Traffic Safety Spotlight
File Photo Courtesy RCMP Media Handout
If you like to speed along you might want to throttle back as SGI’s focus in its April Traffic Safety Spotlight is speeding.
In its news release SGI makes mention of a March 12th incident where a motorcyclist drove up to 260 km\hour trying to evade Saskatoon City Police. The motorcyclist was later captured hiding underneath a grain bin north of Saskatoon.
In its release SGI lists people who were caught excessively speeding and the resultant penalties which monetary-wise ran from $809 for driving 101 km\hr on a road with a 50 km\hr limit near Cosco in east Regina up to $1602 fine for driving 212 km\hr on Saskatoon’s Circle Drive in a 90 km\hr zone.
Vehicles were impounded as well from seven days up to 30 days for two teens caught racing at 134 km\hr on a 70 km\hr bridge in Saskatoon.
“There’s no need to speed. Speeding isn’t cool or edgy; it’s dangerous and unnecessary,” said Penny McCune from SGI said in the release.
“If you want to drive at high speeds, we suggest playing a video game. In real life, speeding can get you in trouble fast, leaving less time to react. There are serious consequences: legal, financial, and worse,” the statement from McCune read.
Not only will SGI and law enforcement agencies across Saskatchewan focus on the issue of speeding and aggressive driving as well in April.
The term “aggressive driving” refers to a number of offences that include driving too fast for road conditions, running red lights, not stopping at stop signs, stunting, racing, or passing to the right on a highway. All of those behaviours are illegal and dangerous on Saskatchewan’s streets, roads, and highways SGI said in the release.
There are a number of different speed-related offences under The Traffic Safety Act for exceeding the speed limit. Fines can be a costly mistake.
Fines are based on the offence and speed travelled. Driving 20 km/h over the speed limit on a regular road will cost you $190. The cost of the ticket goes up for every kilometre per hour you’re over the limit, and speeding in school zones or construction zones where workers are present carries more severe penalties. For the worst speeders, there are also Criminal Code charges and vehicle impoundments.
On average, speed-related collisions are responsible for 21 deaths and more than 600 injuries every year in Saskatchewan. (2015-2017 average).