3,556 tickets racked up by speeders, other traffic offenders

Speeders, drunk drivers, and other traffic offenders have been getting lots of tickets this summer, Saskatchewan Government Insurance says.

There have been 3,556 tickets issued and charges laid across the province in July and August, the government-owned insurance company says.

The offences include:

- 142 exceeding posted speed limit by 35 km/h.

- 48 exceeding posted speed limit by 50 km/h.

- 2 driving at least twice the posted speed limit.

- 17 speeding in a construction zone where a highway worker or flag person is present.

- 99 passing emergency vehicles at more than 60 km/h.

- 3,248 other speed-related offences.

- 100 impaired driving-related offences.

- 130 tickets for distracted driving (102 of those for cellphone use).

- 293 tickets for not using a seatbelt, car seat or booster seat.

The figures cover July and August up to Aug. 18.

"Thirty-five hundred [tickets] is a high number," Kelly Brinkworth, a spokeswoman for SGI, said.

The ticket for speeding in a construction zone is made up of a base fine of $210 plus $3 every kilometre over the posted speed which, in most cases, is 60 km/h.

"It's just a reminder to people that they should be driving 60 kilometres and not to put people's lives at risk," Brinkworth added.