SGI: Sask. police suspended 316 drunk drivers in April

In April, 316 drivers in Saskatchewan had their licences suspended for exceeding the provincial alcohol or drug limits.

Of these 316 drivers, 113 were novice drivers and 203 were experienced drivers, according to a press release from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).

Of the 113 novice drivers, 49 were suspended for exceeding the alcohol limit and 64 for exceeding the drug limit. Of the experienced drivers, 77 were suspended for exceeding the alcohol limit and 126 for exceeding the drug limit.

According to SGI, novice drivers make up about nine percent of all drivers in the province, but they accounted for more than a third of all driving bans imposed by police in April.

According to SGI, this indicates a pattern that shows that novice drivers in general are disproportionately likely to have their license suspended “due to alcohol and drug use at the provincial level.”

Novice drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their blood while driving, SGI said, so their license will be revoked if they have a blood alcohol content of over 0.00 per mille. Novice drivers will also have their license revoked if they have more than 25 ng/ml of THC in their oral fluid, the release said.

SGI also reported that in April, 4,203 tickets were issued for speeding and aggressive driving, 381 tickets for not wearing a seat belt or using an appropriate child seat, and 573 tickets for inattentive drivers.

The 573 violations of the distracted driving ban included 465 violations related to the use of a mobile phone.

Another 170 people were charged with drunk driving under the penal code, SGI said.