100 people die every year on Manitoba roads. MPI wants drivers to change that

Tammy Rosko'shusband and five children will live the rest of their lives without herbecause another driver veered over a median and hit Rosko's minivanhead-on in August.

Drivers should remember such tales of loss and ongoingsorroweach time they get behind the wheel, Manitoba's auto insurer says.

Manitoba Public Insurancelaunched its new "Save the 100" public awareness campaign Wednesday at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute.

The project, which started with question-provoking billboards appearing before the official launch,aims to get motorists more invested in roadway safety by considering the ripple effectfatal crashes hadon the loved ones of the 100 people on averagewho died in collisions each year over the past decade.

"ManyManitobanshave become desensitized to hearing about road deaths, particularly if there is no personal connection to the victim or victims," Satvir Tkachuk, vice-president of communications for MPI, said in a statement.

"However, 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."

MPI says distracted driving played a role in 41 per cent of road deaths last year; impaired driving contributed to 31 per cent; and 18 per cent were attributed to speeding.

What's more concerning is that nearly half (49 per cent) of drivers killed weren't wearing seatbelts, MPI officials said.

"These are the hard numbers that demonstrate most fatal motor vehicle collisions are fuelled by dangerous, illegal or otherwise high-risk driving behaviour," Tkachuk said. "It also tells us that most, if not all, of these collisions are preventable."

Save the 100 highlights the weekly deaths that happen on streets and roads in Manitoba. Each person killed in a crash was a co-worker, friend and family member to someone, MPI said.

The initiative builds on the 2017-20 "Road to Zero" safetyplan launched last year. It includes goals to betterco-ordinate road research and planning across agencies, improve safety for vulnerable drivers through smarter road designs and reduce impaired and distracted driving through increased cultural awareness of road safety.

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