New numbers from Manitoba Public Insurance show the number of people killed on public roadways in the first few months of 2019 is significantly less than within the same time frame last year.
MPI said in the first two months of 2019, there have been five road fatalities. This number is down 62 per cent from the first two months of 2018, which saw a total of 13 people killed on the roads.
Compared to the last decade, 2019 remains well below the average for the number of road deaths in the first two months of the year, with the data putting the average at 10.
“While the first two months of 2019 are very positive, there is still much work to do as we strive for zero fatalities,” said Satvir Jatana, vice president responsible for communications at MPI, in a news release.
“The reality is that every single person killed in a motor vehicle collision over the last decade had a personal connection to someone. Each and every one of their lives mattered. Manitobans need to be less accepting towards road fatalities and more committed to driving motor vehicle-related deaths down to zero.”
In the first two months of 2019, the Crown corporation said no one died in an off-road vehicle accident. Within the same time frame in 2018, there were three off-road vehicle fatalities.
MPI said road deaths in Manitoba continue to be attributed to distracted driving, impaired driving, speed and not wearing a seatbelt.
