A busy two-day period for the RCMP South West Regional Traffic Services last week.

During their Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) campaign focused on the City of Swift Current and surrounding area, the RCMP came in contact with 222 vehicles, making 245 enforcement actions.

"The whole focus on that (STEP campaign) is public education," Corporal Mike Young with RCMP South West Regional Traffic Services said. "There is also the enforcement component to it as well to ensure safe usage on Saskatchewan's highways."

More than 50 police and peace officers from various municipal and provincial enforcement agencies participated in the STEP campaign, which targeted various traffic safety violations.

"We were looking for infractions under the traffic safety act, such as intersections, seat belts, speed and distracted driving so in particular cellphones is what we were looking at," Young stated.

The two-day initiative lead to 129 charges under the Traffic Safety Act (44 excessive speeds, 40 seatbelts, 14 unregistered vehicles, 6 use of a cell phone while operating a vehicle, 16 intersection-related offences and 9 other various offences). It also lead to 23 Vehicle Equipment Regulations charges being laid.

"We're out there to ensure you're safe," he added. "It may end up that people get caught up a little bit and may be facing an infraction, but they know we're taking road safety seriously in Saskatchewan and it was well seen throughout the two-day project in Swift Current."

All incidents didn't lead to charges being laid, as other enforcement actions were preformed leading to 72 written warnings, 12 inspection tickets, 50 commercial vehicle defects, 10 commercial vehicles placed 'out-of-service', 72 child restraints (car seat/booster seat) checked and six new car seats being installed.