Between July 7-13, 2024, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) completed Operation Safe Driver Week.
During the week, members employed heightened traffic enforcement strategies and were in contact with 344 drivers throughout the province. They issued 235 tickets for infractions that included speeding, unregistered vehicles, seatbelts, failing to stop at a stop sign, suspension from driving, overweight commercial vehicles and cargo securement violations. There were also 12 roadside suspensions issued for drug and alcohol usage.
"The Saskatchewan Highway Patrol is committed to keeping our roads safe for everyone, and their hard work shines through initiatives like this," Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said. "We want every single person to make it home safely, and Operation Safe Driver Week is a key part of teaching drivers how to look out for themselves and each other on the road."
As part of the campaign, the SHP completed 238 inspections with commercial vehicles, with 43 per cent passing inspections. An additional 40 per cent were removed from the roads with the remaining 17 per cent requiring attention before they returned to the road after completing their current trip.
Operation Safe Driver Week is acknowledged annually by law enforcement agencies across North America and is coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The campaign's goal is to encourage and improve safe driving behaviours of private vehicle operators and commercial vehicle drivers through education, traffic enforcement and interactions with law enforcement.
It was launched by CVSA in 2007, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, law enforcement and industry.
"We will continue to enforce legislation, policies and agreements and educate the public about keeping our roads safe," Provincial CVSA Coordinator SHP Sergeant Mathew Austin said. "We need everyone to do their part on the roads to ensure we can all arrive at our destinations safely."
While the campaign is over, drivers are reminded to be cautious on the roads wherever they are travelling.
