Over the last 10 years (2008-2017), not a single pedestrian under the age of 18 has been killed in a motor vehicle collision on Halloween, according to Manitoba Public Insurance data.
“Years of enhanced public awareness about the increased risk to young pedestrians on Halloween, combined with safety tips to children and their parents, has resulted in a safety record that all Manitobans can be proud of,” said Satvir Jatana, vice-president responsible for communications, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Halloween is typically a very busy day on our streets with excited children. The fact that no road deaths have resulted over the last decade is proof that by taking personal responsibility for road safety, every road user has the power to prevent motor vehicle fatalities. In fact, there’s no reason why zero fatalities can’t be achieved the other 364 days of the year as well.”
The Road to Zero: Manitoba Road Safety Plan 2017-2020 was the first plan of its kind in Manitoba, and provided a vision for Manitoba to have the safest roads in Canada. The plan adopts a safe systems approach to road safety in which road users, highway infrastructure, vehicle design and technology, legislation, enforcement, and health services all play a role in developing solutions to reduce or eliminate injury and death on our roadways.
In support of Manitoba’s provincial road safety action plan, the public auto insurer recently launched a new and innovative road safety awareness campaign, tagged Save the 100. The key objective of the campaign, which represents the average number of people killed on Manitoba roadways annually over the last decade, is to reduce tolerance/acceptance for traffic fatalities by asking Manitobans to look beyond the statistics and focus on the real people and real lives lost behind every fatality number reported.
An equally important message is that every Manitoban has the power to bring the annual fatality count down to zero by changing how we think about road safety, the way we drive, and the decisions we make behind the wheel.
With road safety in mind, Manitoba Public Insurance recently distributed more than 103,526 reflective bags to 527 Manitoba schools for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6. Included in the bag was a letter which provided several important safety messages for parents and legal guardians as to how keep their ghosts and goblins safe while collecting their treats.
Safety tips for a happy Halloween
For trick-or-treaters:
- Don’t run out onto roadways.
- Always look both ways and cross at corners or intersections.
- Wear reflective clothing to make yourself more visible to motorists.
- Walk facing traffic when there is no sidewalk.
For motorists:
- Don’t speed – motorists should slow down when they see children walking.
- Don’t assume children see your vehicle. They are excited and could run out in front of you.
- Watch for children who may dart between parked vehicles. Be prepared to stop.
