With one of the highest impaired driving rates in Canada, the battle against influenced drivers is top of mind.

Recently, SGI made it clear that police officers have new tools in their fight against drunk or drug-impaired driving.

On December 18th, federal legislation went through that allows Canadian officers to demand a roadside breath sample from any driver who has been lawfully stopped.

In 2019, there are also more ways officers will be able to combat drug-impaired drivers. They already have been trained and certified to perform Drug Recognition Evaluations and Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, roadside saliva testers to detect recent drug use are also expected to be in the hands of police agencies across the nation and Saskatchewan in the New Year.

"That's something that drivers just need to be aware of, that it is the law now, and refusal to do so can result in charges automatically. So, it's better to not risk it and never get behind a wheel if you are under the influence that impairs you," SGI's Media Relations Manager, Tyler McMurchy said. "Whether it's alcohol, whether it's cannabis or any other kind of drug prescription or non. If it impairs you, you're impaired, and you shouldn't be driving."

With legislation being put in place for tougher impaired driving laws, such as zero-tolerance for drug-impaired driving and stronger penalties for impaired drivers transporting children, they're trying to make a province fee from impaired driving.

In 2017, there may have been a decrease in the number of people killed due to impaired driving, but thirty-nine people dead isn't acceptable McMurchy said.

"We need to keep our focus on this until it is no longer an issue. The only acceptable number of people killed due to impaired driving is zero, and every life lost - I mean these aren't statistics, when we talk about thirty-nine people who have lost their lives, these aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet, these are actual people who's families lost somebody."

SGI also wants to make it clear that all those fatalities were preventable.