Saskatchewan Government Insurance has updated their Safe Driver Recognition program, and is set to become effective October 12th, 2016.

Reviews for the program began in 2012 when SGI asked for feedback from customers, employees, and stakeholders. The provincial government approved the recommended changes last year for the program, which will feature harsher penalties and bigger discounts.

Speeding convictions are part of the big changes for the program, where speeding drivers will face tougher penalties. Drivers caught speeding will now lose points for all convictions, not including photo speed enforcement convictions, and in some cases the number of points a driver loses for a speeding infraction will increase. 30 people were killed and 872 injured in 1,954 speed-related collisions in Saskatchewan during 2014.

Other updates to the program include:

  • The safety rating scale will begin growing by one point a year for the next five years, from +20 to +25 for safe driving. Drivers with the safest driving records will be rewarded with higher discounts on their vehicle insurance as the scale grows, reaching 25% when the scale reaches its maximum in 2020.
  • Financial penalties will double from $25 to $50 per point in the penalty zone.
  • Drivers responsible for collisions will lose points based on the seriousness of the collision. Four points for claim payouts under $700 and 6 points for claim payouts of $700 or more.

More information on the program's changes is provided at this SGI page.