Real life consequences of unsafe driving will be shared with over 4,500 high school students across the province this fall through Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI)’s annual Friends for Life Speaker Series.

Kicking off on Monday, Oct. 21 and running through Nov. 1, Friends for Life will visit more than 25 schools across the province, including in Flin Flon, Winnipeg, St. Pierre-Jolys and Rivers. The series features presentations from three individuals whose lives have been personally touched by the consequences of three major contributing factors to deaths on Manitoba roads – speeding, distracted and impaired driving.

“Through powerful firsthand accounts, Friends for Life engages students and encourages them to reflect on their own driving habits and the critical importance of making safe choices behind the wheel,” said Maria Campos, Vice President & Chief Customer and Product Officer. “These presenters are not only survivors and family members who have experienced unimaginable loss; they are advocates for change, using their experiences to inspire others to think twice before taking risks.”

Statistics show teens at high risk for collision, injuries and fatalities

Based on MPI’s data, the Friends for Life program is an important channel to reach the province’s youngest drivers at a time when they are highly represented in the number of collisions, injuries and deaths on roads throughout Manitoba:

  • Young Manitoban drivers are 2.4 times more likely to be involved in a severe collision involving alcohol impairment than other age groups.
  • On average, 41 youth per year are injured in speed-related collisions in Manitoba.
  • Between 2017 and 2021, 17 people aged 15 to 21 were killed in distracted driving crashes.

Now in its thirteenth year, Friends for Life helps demonstrate MPI’s deep commitment to road safety and is part of our ongoing road safety programming in Manitoba, which includes children and youth presentations as well as partnerships with MADD Canada and the Manitoba School Board Association’s Safe Grad program.

“The cost of making dangerous decisions on the road can be devastating and that’s why MPI is committed to helping young people form a strong foundation around road safety as early as possible,” said Campos. “Through Friends for Life and our other community relations programs, MPI recognizes the impact we can have by talking to new drivers as early as possible to encourage them to avoid high-risk driving behaviours.