Advertisement

Highway deaths increasing in Manitoba, RCMP say

A drug-impaired driver stuck two boys on their bikes in the rural municipality of St. Andrews. Courtesy/Brent Polson

Manitoba RCMP say the number of road collision fatalities is up from last year.

So far on record in 2018 there have been 51 collisions, resulting in 56 deaths. Another fatality over the weekend on Hwy. 59 brings that number to 57.

Those numbers are higher than the five year average and are up by about a dozen from 2017.

“Almost every weekend we seem to be having a tragedy involving collisions that are preventable,” Sgt. Paul Manaigre said.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

Manaigre said divers in the province need to start wearing seat belts and to stop driving under the influence.

Just last week, a 15-year-old Selkirk boy was killed on a Manitoba highway after a collision involving drugs.

Story continues below advertisement

Manaigre added that many of the collisions to date involved high-risk driving behaviours.

“The speeds, the seat belts, the alcohol… there’s lots of factors that people have control of,” Manaigre said.

“We have to encourage Manitobans to drive safely.”

WATCH: Two-vehicle crash closes Manitoba highway 

Click to play video: 'Two-vehicle crash closes Manitoba highway Monday'
Two-vehicle crash closes Manitoba highway Monday

Sponsored content

AdChoices