There have been more people killed on Saskatchewan’s highways this year than ever before.
The RCMP say 153 people have died in road accidents in the province so far this year. The previous record was 151, back in 2001.
“Last year in Saskatchewan there were 128 fatalities,” said Cpl. Rob King. “This year being 153, there is a significant increase.”
They believe some of the contributing factors include poor weather, and the booming population leading to more people on the roads.
"The years of being the only person on a Saskatchewan highway are gone,” said King. “There are a lot of people on the roads.”
For some, the statistics are very personal, and painful.
Ashley Scarfe lost her niece and sister-in-law in a crash near Saskatoon last January.
“It’s still so hard, especially with Christmas coming,” she said. It’s believed her sister in law swerved to avoid an animal and drove into the path of an oncoming truck.
Safety experts say there is no one factor behind the increase in accidents. Some of the more common factors include speeding, alcohol, and drivers not paying attention.
“We forget about concentrating on our driving,” said Al Reichert of the Saskatoon District Safety Council. “If we could get people to concentrate, we could get these numbers down.”
