Here's how much tickets for street racing, stunting could cost Sask. drivers
This month SGI is cracking down on dangerous driving behaviours, including street racing and stunting.
New penalties for street racing and stunting came into effect on Oct. 1.
Tickets for both offences will now cost the driver $580 along with four demerit points.
Fines for street racing will escalate for repeat offenders, according to SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy.
A second street racing fine will cost $1,400 and a third ticket will be $2,100, if the repeat infractions happen in a one-year span. The vehicle will also be impounded for 30 days for all street racing convictions.
“These are fairly serous consequences and it’s a very serious offence,” McMurchy said.
“It’s something that doesn’t belong on our roads.”
In the last two years, police officers have been handing out more tickets for street racing and stunting.
McMurchy said the number of tickets issued each year has doubled from about 30 to 60 convictions.
Sgt. Ian Barr called street racing “a problem in certain areas of the city during certain times of the year.”
Regina’s east end near the Greens on Gardiner as well as Albert Street tend to see the most activity on weekends and during nice weather, Barr said.
“Sometimes it’s a legitimate race … but other times it can be a road rage incident where somebody’s trying to get ahead of somebody and somebody doesn’t want to let them in,” Barr said.
It is part of an overall trend with dangerous driving habits increasing since the pandemic, according to McMurchy.
SGI is focusing on speed during its October traffic safety spotlight.
Excessive speed is one of the leading factors in traffic-related deaths and injuries, McMurchy said.
Last year, speed contributed to 1,263 collisions, resulting in 554 injuries and 20 deaths.
“When you’re driving too fast really bad things could happen,” McMurchy said.
Barr said traffic officers are always focused on catching excessive speeders and the month of October won’t be any different.
“There’s nowhere or very few places in the city where you can find everyone obeying the speed limit,” Barr said.
“It is unfortunately far too frequent that we find people going over 35 kilometres and over 50 kilometres over the speed limit.”
According to Barr, increasing a vehicle’s speed by 20 kilometres per hour can greatly increase the stopping distance.
For example, the stopping distance of a vehicle doubles if a person is driving 70 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone, he said.
“When you think about approaching a cross walk or school zone or somebody riding off the sidewalk on a bicycle, that could make the difference between being able to stop for that person or a collision happening,” Barr said.
McMurchy said SGI plans to increase its penalties for “egregious speeding offences” in the next few months. New fines will come with an automatic 30-day vehicle impoundment and a seven-day license suspension, he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.