The Government of Saskatchewan is proclaiming this week as Distracted Driving Awareness Week.

According to SGI, distracted driving has injured an average of 780 people annually and killed an average of 21.6 people over the past five years in Saskatchewan. 

“While we have made important strides in reducing the number of injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving collisions, there are still far too many people hurt or killed in our province by this dangerous activity,” Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan said.  “Traffic safety remains a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan, and we’ll continue to work to bring awareness to this issue in order to make our roads safer for everyone.” 

Currently, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation is planning to deliver a number of its Drop It And Drive distracted driving and distractions in the workplace presentations to workplaces, law enforcement, policymakers as well as high school and university students in the province throughout the week.

“Our most recent Road Safety Monitor on distracted driving showed a concerning increase since 2018 in the percentage of Canadians reporting talking on a handheld device while driving and texting while driving,” shares Robyn Robertson, TIRF President & CEO. “We are grateful to the Government of Saskatchewan for recognizing the importance of raising awareness about the risks associated with distraction on the road and in the workplace. Their leadership in dedicating a week to provide its citizens with access to TIRF’s research and tools to reduce preventable collisions is applauded. TIRF’s award-winning DIAD education program has reached more than 60,000 youth, communities, and workplaces across North America since 2010 and we’re excited to bring this program to Saskatchewan.” 

Distracted driving is consistently one of the leading factors in collisions, injuries, and deaths on the province’s roads.