Last week, Portage la Prairie was the unwilling backdrop to the scene of a three-car accident which resulted in the death of an innocent young woman from High Bluff.
No one should have to go out on the road, unsure if they will return back home, but this is becoming the reality for many. People drive too fast or under the influence and it doesn’t just put their own lives at risk; their choices endanger everyone else on the road as well. This begs the question: is there anything to be done to reduce the number of accidents on our roads?
In 2024, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) recorded 49 collisions involving speed, 172 accidents due to careless driving, and 212 collisions where both factors were present. Despite this being a very slight decrease in incidents compared to the previous four years, Tara Seel, Media and Public Relations Lead for MPI, emphasizes that careless driving and speeding remain significant concerns in and around the Portage area.
“Looking at these numbers for Portage la Prairie, in 2024 there were 212 collisions involving speed and careless driving, but over the past five years there have been over 1500 collisions that involved these two factors. 1500 collisions where fatality or serious injury were possible. We want to try and reduce those numbers so that people are not involved in these high-risk driving collisions,” Seel says.
People are told the tips time, and time again. Still, reminding drivers to make safe choices on the road is the best bet for everyone to get home safely, Seel explains.
“I think what people need to remember is that when you head out on the roadway, you have choices to make. We ask that you make the safe choices. The speed limit is not always ideal for conditions. If roads are icy or slippery or snow covered - which many of them are now - then the speed limit isn't necessarily the recommended speed that you should be going, to be safe. Make sure you are buckled up. Make sure you're focused solely on the road, and you're not distracted. Pay attention to the cars around you and keep yourself safe,” Seel expresses.
Possibly the most important element of safe driving is the decision to drive soberly. Seel cautions people about the dangers of driving while impaired, particularly with the increasing use of cannabis edibles, which can have delayed effects.
"Lately we've been talking a lot about cannabis impaired driving. People may not be fully aware of the effects of edibles they may be taking. When you have edibles, you are indeed driving impaired, and the effects can be delayed. It doesn't come on quite as quickly as if you were smoking cannabis. You need to be sober to drive a vehicle, and that's a choice that you make as a driver. Make that choice for yourself, but also for your family and for all the other innocent drivers on the road.”
Despite the repetitive nature of the message, it is a crucial conversation to keep having. No one wants to be the next cautionary tale, but the only way to end careless and distracted driving, is for everyone to do better. To do their part. It just might save a life.