Saskatchewan RCMP officers enountered several examples of dangerous driving from July 8-11, with thousand of dollars in fines being handed out. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Dangerous driving

RCMP Traffic Services issue nearly 400 tickets over four-day period

Jul 14, 2021 | 4:35 PM

Motorcycle Officers of RCMP Combined Traffic Services encountered several instances of significant motorist infractions this past weekend.

While on patrol in the Battlefords, Lloydminster and Meadow Lake areas for various unsafe-driving behaviours (such as cell phone use, not wearing seatbelts, disobeying stop signs, impaired driving, speeding, etc) the six officers handed out 370 tickets and 279 warnings to the public. Fifty tickets were given to drivers going faster than 60 km/hr when passing emergency vehicles, there were also 98 seatbelt tickets, 35 tickets for cell phone usage while driving and one ticket for an impaired driving offence.

Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan handed out 370 tickets this past weekend. (Submitted photo/RCMP SK Media)

Battlefords RCMP Staff Sgt. Jason Teniuk said coming out of restrictions in the province that occurred during the pandemic have created a vulnerable driving period in Saskatchewan. Since July 11, there’s been more motorists on the road and an increase in drivers unused to hours of highway travel.

“I think we need to re-acclimate ourselves to what is safe on the road,” Teniuk said. “No distractions, driving the speed limits, paying attention to road signs.”

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“If each of us individually takes that responsibility on, that makes the road a whole lot safer for everyone else.”

The release included several examples of extreme infractions by motorists. One example was a driver who was found to have open liquor in the vehicle after being pulled over for going 160 km/hr in a 60 km/hr zone and swerving through traffic while leaving North Battleford. This resulted in a 120-day license suspension, the vehicle being towed and fines reaching $1,948, which were for open liquor, speeding and failing to stop at a red light.

In another incident, officers pulled over a driver near Lashburn and issued a ticket for going 133 km/hr in a 110 km/hr zone. The driver was pulled over again about a mile away for going 93 km/hr when passing an officer conducting a traffic stop at the side of the road and in a 60 km/hr zone. Within six minutes, this driver received two tickets totaling $710.

One last example included by the RCMP press release was a seizure of contraband tobacco, which resulted in the driver being issued a $1,400 ticket.

Teniuk said that with these types of drivers on the road, taking care of your own driving habits is even more important.

“Be extra vigilant and make sure we’re doing what we should be so we get to our destination safely,” he said. “That’s really all that matters.”

RCMP Traffic Services will continue to hold traffic stops in locations across the province throughout the rest of the year.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW