MPI logs increase in distracted driving suspensions
Posted April 1, 2025 11:16 am.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Manitoba Public Insurance has announced they’ve logged an increase of drivers who are not paying attention while behind the wheel.
More drivers had their licence suspended in 2024 than in the previous five years, with 2,817 drivers penalized last year, facing a three-day suspension, and 150 getting seven-day suspensions.
“Distracted driving is the number one cause of fatalities on Manitoba roadways,” said Maria Campos, Vice President and Chief Customer and Product Officer in a news release.
“Distraction can come in many forms, but when you are driving, that is the only thing you should be doing. Make safety your only priority when you are behind the wheel and focus on the road.”
In 2023, there were only 2,469 three-day suspensions and 98 seven-day suspensions recorded with MPI saying distracted driving is also contributing to collisions across the province, MPI noting that number has dropped.
Last year 675 collisions involving distracted driving were logged by the public insurer, that’s a drop from the 2022 high of 795, with MPI saying the majority of crashes, 60 per cent, took place in Winnipeg.
MPI reminds members of the public that distracted driving reduces reaction time and can create dangerous situations for both drivers, pedestrians and others on the road, stressing “those few seconds can be the difference between preventing a collision or causing one.”
Those who are convicted of a distracted driving infraction may face fines of up to $672, and may result in a five-level reduction on a person’s Driver Safety Rating scale.
