Significant increase in Speed-related Serious Driving offences

A total of eight rural police agencies are conducting dedicated enforcement campaigns aimed primarily at speeding motorists, thanks to funding provided by Manitoba Public Insurance. The campaign began this month and will continue into the fall.

High speeds have become a serious concern on public roadways. For the first five months of 2021 there has been a 51 per cent increase in speed-related Serious Driving Offences (SDO) forwarded to MPI’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Motorists caught travelling more than 50 km over the posted speed limit will be given a roadside SDO.

The participating agencies (Morden, Altona, Rivers, Winkler, Springfield, Ste. Anne, Manitoba First Nations Police and RM of Cornwallis), will also be enforcing other provincial offences (non-seatbelt use, impaired driving, distracted driving, driving without insurance, and driving while disqualified or suspended).

“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,” said Satvir Jatana, Chief Customer Officer, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Speeding is a high-risk behaviour which can be corrected by the individual driver. Speeding puts all innocent motorists at risk our on roadways.

“This partnership with law enforcement agencies is an investment in road safety. Education, awareness and visible law enforcement are key factors in changing driver behaviour. With traffic volumes down due to COVID-19 restrictions, some drivers are making the decision to speed and risk not only their life, but the lives of their passengers and all other motorists.”

Road Safety Facts:

• People who don’t use vehicle safety equipment properly are 50 times more likely to be killed when involved in a crash.
• On average, 20 people are killed in a speed-related crash every year.
• On average, nearly 900 (889) people are injured in a speed-related crash every year
• On average, 12,898 crashes in Manitoba are related to distracted driving, or,
  on average, one in four (26%) of all crashes in Manitoba are related to distracted driving.
• On average, 135 crashes in Manitoba are related to impaired driving. On average, nearly one-third (31%) of all fatal crashes in Manitoba are related to impaired driving.

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