Fatal accidents in Sask. almost double what it was in 2023, RCMP warns motorists ahead of the May long weekend

With the number of fatal crashes in the province nearly doubling compared to last year, the Saskatchewan RCMP is promoting safe driving practices ahead of the May long weekend.

RCMP say the service has investigated 19 fatal crashes across the province as of May 9. This represents a 90 percent increase compared to the ten accidents reported during the same period last year.

“It is important to note that many of these collisions remain under investigation and we cannot yet say what caused them all. “But we do not want to see this trend continue,” Supt. Grant St. Germaine said in a news release .

“With traffic volumes expected to increase as we head into the long weekend, I encourage all drivers to make safe decisions when behind the wheel. We all need to help keep Saskatchewan’s roads as safe as possible.”

Motorists can expect RCMP to patrol highways across Saskatchewan as the service conducts high-visibility patrols during peak travel times.

When approaching a checkpoint, drivers are asked to slow down and follow the instructions of on-site officers.

Drivers must slow down to 60 km/h when overtaking an emergency vehicle with their lights on. These include police, fire brigade, highway service, construction vehicles or tow trucks.

Further tips for drivers include:

• Keep your phone out of reach – Focus fully on the task at hand.
• Make sure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt. For those under 12 years of age, the back seat is safest next to car seats and/or booster seats.
• Do not take any risks. If you're wondering whether or not you're “too impaired to drive,” then that's probably the case.
• If you see a suspected impaired driver, stop and call 911 immediately.