Friday is the most dangerous day for travel over a holiday long weekend, according to Manitoba Public Insurance. On average, one person is killed and 90 others are injured each long holiday weekend – with 36 per cent of those injuries or deaths taking place on Friday.

“There’s an air of excitement as we enter a long holiday weekend. But sometimes that excitement translates into high-risk driving behaviors,” said Satvir Jatana, MPI’s Chief Customer Officer. “Speeding continues to be an issue of concern. Over the last few years, speed was a contributing factor in about one in four (23 per cent) of all fatal crashes on Manitoba public roadways. There are typically heavier traffic volumes on the Friday of every summer long weekend as people head out to their cottage, favourite beach or campground. Motorists are encouraged to drive responsibly so we can all have a safe and happy holiday weekend.”

Not only are high-risk driving behaviours illegal in Manitoba, they are also dangerous and can lead to tragic outcomes. In 2020, there were a total of 70 fatal collisions on public roads in Manitoba resulting in 78 fatalities, according to Manitoba Public Insurance data. In many cases, these collisions involved dangerous and high-risk behaviours, and should serve as a reminder to all Manitobans about the importance of road safety.

Top five road safety tips:

  1. Don’t drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Driving drunk or high slows reaction time and continues to be a major contributor to fatal collisions in Manitoba. It’s also a Criminal offence that can result in severe penalties including jail time.
  2. Don’t speed. Speeding at-fault drivers are responsible for deaths of 20 people each year and injure almost 800 others.
  3. Don’t text and drive. It’s against the law and attracts five demerits on the Driver Safety Rating scale. More than one in three fatal crashes in Manitoba are related to distracted driving.
  4. Buckle up. A person is more than 50 times more likely to be killed and almost four times more likely to be seriously injured when not wearing a seatbelt.
  5. Slow down in construction zones. Watch for signs as the speed limit will be lower in a construction zone. Follow directions. The flag person helps control the flow of traffic. Follow their directions, including slowing down or stopping.