Road-related deaths have seen a sharp increase in 2018 according to some startling numbers out of Manitoba Public Insurance.
This year there’s been around a 25 per cent uptick in fatalities compared to 2017.
“We’re also seeing an increase in fatalities on weekends,” said Brian Smiley, the MPI media relations coordinator.
According to Smiley, the increase in weekend road deaths is a trend they’ve been noticing over the past few years. He said some possible explanations for this pattern are the fact that there’s more driver on the road as well as alcohol consumption.
He added that the 25 per cent overall increase is not so easily explained, but seatbelt use could be a factor.
“Particularly in rural areas, again we are not quite sure why, but again people are travelling at higher speed in rural areas, they are travelling down gravel roads presumably, there’s ditches, real likelihood of rolling if you lose control of the vehicle,” Smiley said.
Last year 73 people in Manitoba died on the roads, which Smiley said was one of the safest years on record.
