PLEA gratefully acknowledges our primary core funder the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan for their continuing and generous support of our organization.
In Saskatchewan The Traffic Safety Act sets out the rules that all drivers must follow.
Drivers are required to drive with due care and attention. Common causes of distracted driving include things like, texting or talking on a cellphone, eating, drinking, grooming, smoking, pets and adjusting a radio or other music player. Driving without due care and attention, whatever the cause, is a traffic safety offence. Some types of distraction such as using a cellphone are specifically forbidden.
Drivers must yield to pedestrians, obey traffic signals and signs, and speed limits. This includes lowered speed limits for school zones and construction zones. It is against traffic safety laws to follow another vehicle too closely, drive too fast for the conditions or make a turn or lane change without signalling and ensuring it is safe to do so. Traffic safety laws also state that the driver to the right has the right-of-way at uncontrolled intersections.
Each municipality will also have their own rules about parking as well as things like speeding and disobeying traffic signs. To find out the rules in your community go to your municipality’s website or contact your municipality.
If you do not follow the rules you can be charged with a traffic offence and given a ticket.
You can receive a ticket for things like speeding or going through a red light based on photos taken by a traffic camera. These cameras are set up to take a picture if a vehicle is speeding or going through a red light. This picture shows the licence plate of the vehicle.
In almost every case the registered owner is responsible for paying the ticket, even if they were not driving. However, because there is no finding concerning who was driving, the registered owner will not lose points under the Safe Driver Recognition Program.
If you are in a car crash that is your fault you will have to pay the deductible. SGI will decide who was at-fault for the accident. SGI considers a number of factors when making this decision. These include whether any driver involved was not following the rules of the road as well as what the police and any other witnesses report. If you disagree with the decision you can ask to talk to your adjustor’s supervisor. If you still are not satisfied you can take the other driver to Small Claims Court.
If you are in an accident...
Call the police if...
Report the accident by phone or online to SGI as soon as possible – have your driver’s licence and car registration ready
Drivers cannot hold, view, use or manipulate a cellphone. New drivers also cannot use hands-free cellphones. Experienced drivers can use a hands-free cellphone as long as it is activated with one-touch or voice commands and it is in a holder of some kind.
A study from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute about cellphone distraction while driving reported that drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to be in a collision than those who don’t. Talking on a cellphone makes the driver 3 to 6 times more likely to be in a collision. ~ SGI~
The Regina Public Library and Saskatoon Public Library are hosting free Law Fair events during Saskatchewan Access to Justice Week to connect people with free legal information, assistance, and support. Attend to acquire legal knowledge and to broaden awareness of legal rights and responsibilities!