Police and SGI are cracking down on suspended drivers and unregistered vehicles this month.
The penalty for driving an unregistered vehicle is a $580 fine and repeat offenders have their vehicles impounded for seven days.
Drivers can get their licences suspended for many reasons, including a poor driving record or failing to meet the conditions imposed by SGI or the courts.
But the most common reason is racking up traffic tickets and not paying them, according to Const. Mike Seel from the Regina Police Service.
“I had a male, I pulled him over for being on his cellphone. He had been suspended since 1982,” Seel told the Greg Morgan Morning Show.
“He got his vehicle impounded for 30 days, he got a cellphone ticket and he got a summons for that. That’s up to the judge and it’s based on their history but I can guarantee it will probably be a pretty hefty fine. He had five active suspensions.”
According to SGI, about 55,000 drivers are suspended from driving and nearly 3,500 are caught each year.
As for driving without valid plates, about 10,000 people are caught annually.
In both cases, SGI says drivers are not covered by insurance, making them liable for thousands of dollars in damages in the event of a crash.
Seel urged drivers to get a MySGI account because police will allow people to renew their plates on the side of the road.