October 15th - 21st is National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance is encouraging safe driving of teens with a special program in association with Police services around the Province.

"During National Teen Driver Safety Week, which is October 15th - 21st, Police will be rewarding teens demonstrating safe driving habits with positive tickets, so this is the kind of ticket you actually want to get," explained Tyler McMurchy, Manager of Media Relations, SGI.

McMurchy added that the Teens who are observed by police doing safe driving behaviours like driving distraction free, buckling up, obeying posted speed limits or driving sober will receive a positive ticket, a travel mug and also be encouraged to enter a social media contest which SGI is doing, to be entered into a draw for a $250 prepaid Visa card.

The competition #GetHomeSafeSK involves liking, sharing and tagging two friends on the SGI's Teen Driver Safety Week posts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Drivers aged 15-19 are able to take part in the competition, in Saskatchewan.

"It is very important, that when you are entering the contest via social media that you are not be driving at the time."

Drivers in the graduated driver program, have stricter rules than experienced drivers.

"Anyone who is in the graduated drivers licensing program is not allowed to use, hold, manipulate or view a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, and they are not allowed to use it hands-free, mounted on the dash or visor, unlike experienced drivers." 

"Teen Drivers, unfortunately, are over-represented when it comes to collisions, collisions causing injury and collisions causing fatalities in Saskatchewan. They represent about 7 percent of the drivers on the roads in Saskatchewan but they're involved in 13 percent of collisions, 18 percent of injury collisions and 15 percent of fatal collisions in Saskatchewan," said McMurchy.

Positive ticket sample, courtesy of SGI