The Manitoba Driver, from Manitoba Public Insurance
March 2008

About 475 words
Communities can help put the brakes on speeders

Whether you live in a small town or the big city, you’ve probably noticed speeding in your neighbourhood – especially in the springtime. But together with Manitoba Public Insurance’s SpeedWatch Program, you can help do something about it.

According to Manitoba Public Insurance research, in 2006 55 per cent of Manitobans said that they exceed the speed limit at least occasionally. While that may not seem like a high number, the costs of speeding can be enormous.

Speeding was listed as a contributing factor in 26 fatal collisions and 386 injury-producing collisions in Manitoba in 2006. Of the 119 Manitobans who died in car crashes in 2006, 33 died in crashes where speeding was a factor. Another 559 Manitobans were injured in speed-related accidents.

According to Jared Spier, Road Safety Issue Specialist for Manitoba Public Insurance, even small reductions in vehicle speed can reduce the risk of injury significantly.

“A pedestrian struck at 50 kilometres per hour has an 80 per cent chance of survival, while one hit by a vehicle travelling 60 kilometres per hour has an 80 per cent chance of dying,” he says.

Manitoba Public Insurance’s SpeedWatch Program offers to lend devices called speed reader boards. The boards measure the speeds of approaching vehicles and display them to drivers as they pass.

The units can be borrowed for approximately one week, in both Winnipeg and rural Manitoba, and community-based volunteers use the equipment to raise awareness of speeding.

Rose, who prefers her last name not be used, has been involved with the program in Portage la Prairie for seven years, and says it has made a big difference in her community.

Last year one street her group monitored saw a large increase in traffic after a major overpass near the city was closed to replace a bridge. As a result the neighbourhood saw an increase in speeding, as people began using the residential street to avoid traffic on the designated detour.

“In early May when our volunteers first set up, 37 per cent of the drivers were exceeding the speed limit,” she says. “By September, when they wrapped up for the winter, that number was down to 23 per cent. We know we’re helping to slow people down.”

Spier says when people are asked why they exceed the speed limit, even if only rarely, the most common answer is lack of attention.

According to Rose, that’s why the program works.

“It’s all about awareness,” she says. “When people see how fast they’re going, they slow down.”

There are currently 12 permanent community-based groups in the SpeedWatch Program throughout Manitoba, including Brandon, Cornwallis, East St. Paul, Neepawa, Oakbank, Poplar Point, Portage la Prairie, Sandy Lake, Sainte Agathe, The Pas, Thompson and Winkler.

If you’re interested in participating in the program, contact Manitoba Public Insurance at 985-7199 or toll free at 1-888-767-7640.

--30--

© 2008 Manitoba Public Insurance

Downloadable high resolution images
(right click on the thumbnail below and choose "Save Target As...)

Photos courtesy of Manitoba Public Insurance