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With freedom comes responsibility.

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So the old adage goes, parroted in one form or another by so many parents whose child has obtained a freshly minted driver’s licence.

And that responsibility remains as long as the document is valid, whether it’s viewed as a ticket to youthful freedom or a meal ticket for the working stiff whose job requires them to drive.

On Feb. 10, Regina media learned that local police officer Scott Shane Ash didn’t uphold part of his responsibility — in this case, the obligation to pay off a fine — and as a result his licence was suspended in July.

But while Ash made headlines, he was far from being the only one in the province whose licence was suspended. It varies, but at any given time, around 56,000 Saskatchewan driver’s licences are suspended, according to SGI spokesman Tyler McMurchy.

And Ash also wasn’t alone in having not paid a fine. McMurchy says that unpaid fines and the failure to complete required programming are the two most common reasons the issuer would suspend a licence.

There are a myriad of other reasons why someone’s steering papers might be suspended. Some are less straightforward than others.

For instance, take the scenario of an older brother lending his licence to his younger brother, who wants to get into a bar underage. This would constitute as a misuse of government-issued identification and could very well lead to a licence suspension — and not just for the older brother.

“Both are misusing,” said Tara Boutin, director of driver programs for SGI.

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If the younger brother had his own driver’s licence, that too could be in jeopardy.

The same goes for the use of a fake ID.

Behind on your child-support payments? Since 1996, it’s been possible for a person to have their licence suspended if they fall behind in that particular responsibility.

And those convicted of a prostitution-related charge also face a licence suspension, for a term of one year. That’s in addition to a slate of other consequences for that conduct.

The court can order the suspension of a person’s licence, as was the case with Ash, when he was convicted for impaired driving in 2019. In that case the judge ordered his licence suspended for one year. His subsequent suspension in 2021 was as a result of not paying fines, as mentioned.

There are situations where a person’s licence might be suspended for a period longer than that prescribed by a court, but that would have to do with how an offence interacts with provincial legislation, and would not be at the discretion of SGI, according to Boutin.

Police too can suggest SGI review a driver’s record, based on observation of their driving habits. This might include a pattern of poor driving behaviour that hadn’t already triggered action by the Crown licence issuer.

McMurchy says his employer “strongly discourages” people from driving with a suspended licence.

For those who might know someone who is driving while their licence is suspended, he asks them to ponder, “what other risks are they taking?”

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The potential cost is huge, including being on the hook without insurance for any collision damage.

And in the case of Ash, it resulted in six criminal charges of driving while prohibited. He’s also been “relieved from duty,” albeit with pay.

Eyes are always watching, whether human or electronic. It was the latter in the case of Ash. One of the more than 180 SGI-funded automated licence plate readers mounted on Saskatchewan law enforcement vehicles, alerted his employer to his suspended licence.

There are some cases where the SGI has some latitude in how it can handle issue’s with a motorist’s driving record. The Crown corporation can conduct interviews with drivers and make assessments based on their findings.

Depending on the circumstance, Boutin says a suspension isn’t necessarily the first approach SGI will take. But once a driver reaches the point of suspension, it’s often because other corrective measures, including courses, have failed to change the individual’s behaviour.

“It really becomes a matter of safety, when we’re starting to see those suspensions enforced.”

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