Saskatchewan

Sask. police lay 300 drunk driving-related charges in December

Saskatchewan police laid 300 charges related to alcohol and drugs and driving last month, according to Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

Numbers down from 2014 traffic blitz

SGI says police gave out more than 300 tickets for alcohol- and drug-related driving offences last month. (CBC)

Saskatchewan police laid 300 charges related to alcohol and drugs and driving last month, according to Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

In December, there was a province-wide police spotlight on impaired driving.

The 300 charges include impaired driving, having a blood-alcohol level over .08 per cent or refusing a breath test (which carries the same penalties as the other two Criminal Code offences.)

Police also charged eight other people with having a blood-alcohol level between .04 and .08.

The 308 alcohol- and drug-related driving offences are actually down from December 2014, when there were 381 charges laid. In December 2014, the comparable number was 436.

Last month, in addition to impaired driving charges, police gave out thousands of tickets. They include:

  • 3,124 for speeding or aggressive driving.
  • 145 tickets for distracted driving (including 95 for cellphone use)