Last week was proclaimed distracted driving awareness week 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.”

Throughout last week, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) delivered a number of its Drop It And Drive (DIAD) distracted driving and distractions in the workplace presentations to workplaces, law enforcement, policymakers as well as high school and university students in the province.

In Saskatchewan, distracted driving has injured an average of 780 people annually and killed an average of 21 people over the past five years (2017-2021). It is consistently one of the leading factors in collisions, injuries, and deaths on the province’s roads.

SGI’s Tyler McMurchy states that while it has changed over the years, there are many things that can distract a driver from safely operating a motor vehicle.

“Distractions can come in many forms and these days there are all kinds whether it is the smartphone in your hand, the smartwatch on your wrist, other passengers, make-up, cigarettes, vapes, food pets,” says McMurchy.

To learn more about “Drop It And Drive,” visit their website.