Spring. It brings out the grills, the first trips to the lake and, of course, a few cold ones. It also brings out those who are prone to having a few too many cold ones and getting behind the wheel of their vehicle.
Sarah Poole, a 10-year emergency room nurse at the Regina General Hospital has seen the devastation drunk driving can entail firsthand.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen patients with limbs missing, limbs being brought in on ice to be reattached, people being rushed to the OR, and people needing massive blood transfusions,鈥� said Poole. 鈥淧eople think they鈥檙e invincible. They never think it鈥檚 going to happen to them, until it happens to them and then it鈥檚 horrific.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 realize that one bad choice鈥攖o drive drunk or high鈥攃an damage so much. It really is that simple.鈥�
The statistics don鈥檛 lie. In 2013, 40 people were killed and 606 were injured in alcohol- and drug-related collisions. Saskatchewan continues to lead the country in this category second only to the Northwest Territories.
SGI鈥檚 monthly traffic safety blitz for May will focus on impaired driving. Throughout the month Saskatchewan law enforcement agencies will be on particular lookout for impaired drivers.
This summer marks the second year of tougher legislation in Saskatchewan which includes longer licence suspensions, immediate roadside vehicle seizures, and user-pay mandatory ignition interlock in some cases. Drug-impaired drivers face the same consequences as those impaired by alcohol.
鈥淪GI reminds drivers to always plan a safe ride home,鈥� stated a press release from the provincial insurer. 鈥淐hoose a designated driver in advance, take a taxi, use a safe ride service, take the bus or call a friend or family member to pick you. SGI even has a free Safe Ride app to help you keep track of these different options. And if you see a driver you suspect is impaired, pull over and call 911 to report them to police through the Report Impaired Drivers (RID) program.鈥�
