SASKATCHEWAN - With traffic fatalities up 38 per cent so far this year, Saskatchewan RCMP urges drivers to make safe choices.
"As we prepare for the May long weekend – and mark Canada Road Safety Week – Saskatchewan RCMP urges all drivers to do their part to help keep Saskatchewan’s roads safe," police said in the news release.
This year’s Canada Road Safety Week theme is ‘Road Safety: Every Road, Every Day, Everyone’. It’s a message that everyone who gets behind the wheel should take to heart, said Insp. Lee Knelsen, operations officer for Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services.
“When you drive too fast, aggressively, while distracted or while impaired, you increase the risk that you, your passengers or other road users will be hurt, or even killed,” he said. “Twenty-nine people have already lost their lives on roads in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction so far in 2025 – an increase of 38 per cent over the same time last year. These deaths are tragic – particularly when you know that some collisions can be avoided.”
In Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction in 2024, drugs and/or alcohol were a factor in 44 per cent of fatal collisions. Failure to use safety equipment (seatbelts and motorcycle helmets) was a contributing factor in 24 fatalities.
The goal of Canada Road Safety Week is decreasing driving behaviours that put road users at risk, including: drug and alcohol impaired driving; fatigue impaired driving; distracted driving; aggressive driving; and driving without a seatbelt.
It’s marked annually on the week leading up to the May long-weekend, the unofficial kickoff to summer – and typically, an increase of people on the roads.
If you are hitting the road this weekend:
- Check road conditions at the before setting out. Some weather forecasts have been hinting we may get a dust of snow in some parts of the province this weekend, but remember that road construction, wildfires and other issues can affect travel through the summer.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go, reducing the temptation to speed.
- Get rid of all distractions, including phones, and give your full attention to the road.
- If you are planning to consume alcohol or drugs, make plans for a safe ride home.
- Make sure all occupants of your vehicle are buckled up – and if you have little passengers, make sure they are in an approved car seat.
“Let’s all do our part to make sure everyone on the roads this weekend gets where they need to go, safely,” Knelsen said.
