It wasn't that long ago that the registration for every vehicle in Saskatchewan had to be renewed each year between March 15 and April 30th. That changed in 1977, when SGI (called SGIO in those days) staggered registration renewals so some expired at each month end. Line-ups were reduced even more when daily vehicle expiry was introduced in 1996 - a system where vehicle registrations are staggered throughout all the days of the year.
In the last 50 years, there have been a lot of other improvements to services at SGI - and to attitudes of the public toward road safety. Do you remember when ...
• you were issued new licence plates of a different colour each year? That practice ended in 1977, when SGI began issuing annual renewal stickers, instead of exchanging the entire licence plate.
• driver's licences were different colours (white, blue or red) to show whether or not you were a high-risk driver? That stopped in 1968 when SGI turned to automation and driver's licences were no longer typed manually.
• seat belt use was not mandatory, and seat belts weren't even installed in vehicles? Seat belt use became mandatory in Saskatchewan in 1977 for front seat passengers, and in 1980 for all passengers where seat belts existed in the vehicle. Volvo manufacturers claim their PV 544, aka the Amazon, was the first vehicle equipped with seat belts as a standard in 1959.
• the driving abilities of people with medical conditions weren't monitored? That changed in 1931 when SGI required licence applicants to declare that they had no mental or physical disability that would interfere with their driving ability.
• drinking and driving was socially acceptable? If you were caught with open liquor in your vehicle, you received a fine and your liquor was confiscated? It was only in the past 10 years that attitudes and laws have changed.
• everyone lined up on Monday mornings to report their weekend fender benders? This was no longer required when SGI started Dial-a-Claim in 1986.
• you had to pay your entire year's registration and insurance premium in one lump sum? In 1991 SGI introduced the two-payment plan, allowing vehicle owners to pay their annual premium in two instalments. That, in turn, was replaced in 1996 by the Short-Term payment option, allowing vehicle owners to choose a registration term between three and 12 months. AutoPay was introduced in 1997, allowing vehicle owners to opt for monthly withdrawals from their bank account.
