The blizzard on January 17 resulted in a significant number of collision reports to Manitoba Public Insurance. Tara Seel, media and public relations lead, explained that the severe blizzard conditions led to a total of 511 collision claims that day. Among the reports, Portage la Prairie ranked fifth highest in the region.
Winnipeg had 268 claims; Steinbach had 31; West St. Paul had 26; Ste. Anne had 15; Blumenort, Brandon, Headingley, and Portage la Prairie had 12 claims each.
"Now we can't attribute all the collisions on the 17th to the winter driving conditions. We'll have to look further into the data to determine that, but we can say those conditions were a major contributing factor. I will also say that we're still seeing claims coming in. This is only the first day of claims being reported, so we do anticipate that number will increase quite a bit," says Seel.
She noted that some collisions were far more severe than others. Many people were involved in these collisions across different communities in southern Manitoba, with varying degrees of seriousness.
Seel adds that the rate at which claims are reported is unknown, as customers determine when their accidents will be reported.
"When driving in winter conditions, especially like those we saw on January 17, we just want to remind everyone that if you don't have to be out on the road, don't be. If you need to be, slow down. Drive at a speed that allows you to safely encounter the unexpected. Remember that speed limits are for ideal conditions, so if the conditions are anything other than ideal, like a bright sunny day with dry pavement, you need to adjust your speed accordingly. With icy and snow-covered roads, your stopping distance increases. Make sure to leave plenty of room between yourself and any vehicles around you. Ultimately, just slow down and drive to the conditions."
The Portage la Prairie Fire Department reported a total of 10 calls to 911 on Friday, January 17.
"We have six call reports for the highway that day. The 911 calls sometimes will send two for the same crash. But there were six calls for incidents on the Number 1 Highway," says firefighter Seth Scarrett.