Manitoba teen drivers’ behaviours are at the forefront of road safety today with the launch of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 18-24).

Over the last decade (2011-2020), teen drivers have been involved in 10 per cent of fatal collisions and seven per cent of injury collisions, said Satvir Jatana, MPI’s Chief Customer Officer.

“Many teen drivers fully observe the rules of the road. However, it’s important to reinforce the importance of safe driving and the impact of high-risk driving behaviours for the safety of all motorists on our roadways,” she said.

National Teen Driver Safety Week – organized by Parachute Canada – is a good time for all teen drivers in the province to evaluate their own driving behaviours and encourage their peers to adopt similar practices to help reduce  teen driver involvement in collisions.

Other collision involvement rate statistics involving Manitoba teen drivers include:

  • They are 3.4 times more likely to follow too closely than drivers aged 45 and older.
  • They are 4.3 times more likely to speed than drivers aged 45 and older.
  • They are 5.2 times more likely to lose control/drive off-road than drivers aged 45 and older.
  • They are 6.8 times more likely to experience extreme fatigue or fall asleep behind the wheel than drivers aged 45 and older.
  • They are 4.2 times more likely to drive impaired than drivers aged 45 and older.

MPI’s Driver Z focused on safety

MPI’s Driver Education Driver Z program is now in its third year and sees approximately 11,500 participants each year. The high school program consists of interactive e-lessons, and includes videos and quizzes to test theoretical knowledge as students’ progress through their learning. MPI’s Driver Z application also includes a resource library that features the full series of procedural videos, practice routes, a practice driving log, among other features that enable a better experience for students and their team of driving coaches who are so important in their learning throughout the program.

During COVID-19, MPI’s Driver Z program has worked closely with health and safety experts to determine appropriate practices, in accordance with public health guidelines, for keeping students and instructors safe at this time. In-person classroom sessions are currently being offered virtually and in-car sessions are conducted in accordance with public health guidelines.