For the first four months of 2020, alcohol was involved in nearly one third of the 16 fatal crashes on Manitoba’s public roadways, according to Manitoba Public Insurance.

“Consuming alcohol and driving is not only illegal, but it’s also a potentially fatal combination as the statistics reflect,” said Satvir Jatana, vice-president, Employee and Community Engagement, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Alcohol-related deaths are preventable. And with the news of these concerning numbers, there’s no better time for Manitobans to focus on road safety than Canada Road Safety Week (May 12-18). This annual awareness campaign focuses on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk: distracted driving, impaired driving, non-seatbelt use, speeding and incidents involving vulnerable road users.”

After the first four months in 2020 the data shows:

  • There were 16 fatal crashes on Manitoba’s public roadways, resulting in 17 people killed; compared to the 10 year (2010-2019) average of 17 fatal crashes and 19 people killed. Overall it maintains a downward trend for the first four months of 2020.
  • There were two pedestrians killed in the first four months of 2020, compared to six pedestrians killed in the same period of 2019.
  • Although pedestrian fatalities have decreased in the first four months of 2020, Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) fatalities have increased. There were seven ORV fatalities in the first four months of 2020, compared to one in the same period of 2019, and the five year (2014-2018) average of four.
  • Of the 17 people killed in the first four months of 2020, at least five were alcohol related, and at least two did not wear seatbelt.

About Canada Road Safety Week

Canada Road Safety Week is an enforcement-driven initiative led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), and more specifically by the CACP’s Traffic Safety Committee. It is designed to increase public compliance with safe driving measures in order to save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.

This road safety awareness campaign is part of the broader Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025, which aims to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world. To this end, the campaign is focused on behaviours that put drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users most at risk.