WINNIPEG -- Manitoba Public Insurance is out with crash numbers for January and it said in the first three weeks, there were 10,000 crashes reported and more than 3,000 of those were due to driving too fast for the road conditions or following too close.
MPI said in a news release, roughly 2,000 crashes were from driving too fast for road conditions, while another 1,300 were due to following too close.
Satvir Jatana, vice-president of employee and community engagement for MPI said compared to the rest of the year, road conditions led to three times as many crashes in January.
"Recently, weather and road conditions have been extremely challenging with black ice, drifting snow, poor visibility and at times freezing rain. Motorists need to adjust quickly to ever-changing weather and road conditions," said Jatana in a news release.
Despite the high numbers, it is still lower than January's three-year average from 2017-2019, which was nearly 18,000 crashes.
MPI is out with some tips so drivers can stay safe:
• Check roads and weather conditions by calling 511;
• Drive carefully on overpasses and bridges as they can freeze quickly;
• Allow yourself extra time to get where you are going;
• Make sure windshield washer fluid is topped up;
• Allow more time to stop and don't tailgate other drivers.
