According to Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), impaired driving remains the leading cause of automobile collision fatalities in the province. More worrying is that provincial collision data also revealed that the 19-24 age group has the largest proportion of impaired drivers.
Driver education has always been held as the key to address the issue of impaired driving – especially among younger drivers – and that is why SGI recently increased its annual funding to support the non-profit Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD).
The Crown corporation announced $85,000 in new annual funding to SADD Saskatchewan to help in the development of school and community outreach programs, as well as to start and maintain new chapters of SADD in the province.
Insurance Business spoke with JP Cullen (pictured), executive vice president and chief operating officer of the SGI Auto Fund, to understand the insurer’s advocacy for safer driving, and why SGI is zeroing in on the issue of impaired driving.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) recently announced $85,000 in new annual funding to Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD) Saskatchewan. What was behind the decision to increase the funding?
As a Crown corporation, SGI is both mandated and committed to promoting and supporting traffic safety in Saskatchewan. SGI has partnered with SADD Saskatchewan since the mid-1980s. SADD is committed to educating youth about the consequences of impaired driving, and to empowering them by creating student leaders who can deliver that message to others. We believe the work they do is an important piece of raising awareness about the risks of impaired driving, particularly among the age group that statistics show is most likely to be involved in an impaired driving collision.
SGI and SADD Saskatchewan have been talking about ways to reinvigorate SADD chapters across the province, which have experienced challenges with membership since the pandemic. SADD plans to use the new funding to hire a new position specializing in school and community outreach to help engage schools and students.
SGI already provided about $122,000 in funding annually to SADD. With this boost, the annual funding is now $207,000.
How are impaired driving concerns currently impacting auto insurance in Saskatchewan?
We’re an insurance company, but the financial cost of impaired driving collisions is not our chief concern. There are an average of 706 collisions every year in which impairment was a factor, so it’s not a huge proportion of the number of collisions we see. Although, impaired driving is 100% preventable -- there is always a better choice than driving impaired -- so those are 706 collisions that shouldn’t have happened.
The real impact is the human cost. Impaired drivers - while responsible for a proportionally small number of claims for the Saskatchewan Auto Fund - are responsible for more auto crash fatalities in our province than any other contributing factor.
Every time someone dies in a vehicle collision, it’s a tragedy that devastates families and loved ones. One person hurt or killed due to impaired driving is too many. We want to prevent as many families as possible from going through the pain of a loved one prematurely killed or severely injured.
Apart from the funding, how else is SGI addressing the issue of impaired driving?
SGI undertakes extensive efforts to tackle impaired driving.
Impaired driving is a serious, and persistent, issue. Ongoing education, strict administrative penalties and increased police enforcement are key to changing a culture in Saskatchewan that is still too accepting of this dangerous habit.
This is why SGI dedicates significant resources to address it. Through tough sanctions for those caught driving while impaired, monthly traffic safety spotlights, social media campaigns, print and billboard campaigns, video and radio spots, and funding for increased police enforcement, SGI is committed to reducing the number of people who choose to drive impaired. SGI has made impaired driving prevention a priority. We work with government to help inform public policy through data, research, and insight gained from our work with traffic safety partners and victims’ families. Saskatchewan strengthened laws in 2014, in 2017 and in 2018 that target impaired driving. Law enforcement has stepped up enforcement of those new laws. SGI works hard at promoting safe driving behaviours.
Saskatchewan has made important progress in changing the culture of impaired driving. More people are making better decisions than they have in the past. Increased awareness, media coverage and social media engagement have resulted in more conversations about impaired driving. The number of offences reported every month tells us that enforcement is very strong, but too many people are still driving impaired.
The number of fatalities and injuries that still occur tell us that our work is not over.
What can motorists do to improve their driving behavior?
Always drive sober. If you’re not sober, find a safe ride home. There is more we can all do to help others make good choices, too.
