Fatalities on Saskatchewan roads reached their highest level in six years in 2024, according to newly released data from the RCMP.
Officers responded to 77 fatal collisions last year in RCMP jurisdiction, which resulted in 88 deaths. The number of collisions causing serious injuries also rose sharply — 271 incidents left 321 people seriously hurt, a 48 per cent increase from the year before.
“First off, we want to send our condolences to all the families affected by these tragedies,” said Supt. Grant St. Germaine, officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services. “It’s important when we talk about statistics to remember that there are numerous lives that are changed forever behind each of these collisions. We all need to do our part to try to prevent every collision we can.”
Four main factors contributed to the fatal and serious collisions: impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and failure to wear a seatbelt.
The data also shows that male drivers are more often at fault in both serious and fatal crashes, and drivers aged 16 to 25 remain the highest-risk group.
More than 60 per cent of collisions occurred between noon and midnight, and most involved a single vehicle, according to the RCMP.
So far this year, fatal collisions remain a growing concern. As of late July, Saskatchewan RCMP had responded to 51 fatal crashes resulting in 54 deaths. That’s 13 more deaths than at the same point in 2024.
Nearly 40 per cent of those killed this year were not wearing seatbelts.
“It’s unfortunate that I have to keep repeating the basic driving safety tips,” said St. Germaine. “But we continue to see risky driving behaviour contributing to serious collisions. Remember, always obey posted speed limits, never drive impaired by alcohol or drugs, put the phone down and always remember to wear your seatbelt – it may keep you alive.”
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