March 2, 2012 – SGI is joining Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD) Saskatchewan in supporting Impaired Driving Awareness Week, proclaimed by the provincial government for March 5-9, 2012 in Saskatchewan.
The annual week, originally proclaimed in 1999, raises awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, which is the number one contributing factor in fatal collisions in Saskatchewan. Preliminary numbers show that in 2011, there were more than 1,200 collisions involving alcohol, resulting in more than 500 injuries and nearly 50 fatalities.
Reducing impaired driving is one of SGI’s traffic safety priorities and SGI recognizes that the work SADD does helps reduce alcohol-related collisions.
“I commend SADD for their work educating people across the province on the dangers and risks involved with impaired driving,” said Andrew Cartmell, President and CEO of SGI. “The student leaders with SADD are excellent role models for their peers and in their communities.”
SADD has organized a speaker’s tour to spread this message across the province. This year, paramedic Ted Swan will talk to high school students about each gripping step of a trauma call. Throughout his 18 years of experience, and attending to more than 16,000 ambulance calls, Swan knows first-hand the devastating effects a crash has on everyone involved.
SADD received $6,000 from SGI’s Community Grant Program to hold the Impaired Driving Awareness Week speaker’s tour. Presentations will be held at high schools in Estevan, Oxbow, Melville, Yorkton, Canora, Humboldt, Colonsay, Muenster and LeRoy.
About SGI
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is the province’s self-sustaining auto insurance fund. SGI operates 21 claims centres and five salvage centres across Saskatchewan with a head office in Regina. SGI also works with a network of over 400 motor licence issuers across the province. Customers can now do some transactions online. Look for the MySGI link under Online Services on your motor licence issuer’s website or SGI’s website.
