MPI Study: Rural Manitobans Buckle Up Less, Winnipeggers Get Distracted

A recent study commissioned by Manitoba Public Insurance found that Manitobans are still engaging in potentially dangerous behaviours at the wheel. Drivers in rural Manitoba are more likely to drive without buckling up, while Winnipeggers are prone to using cellphones and other distracting devices at the wheel, according to a release by MPI.

The road safety study was conducted in September and observed nearly 29,000 vehicles in 46 different cities and towns across Manitoba.

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The results are quite interesting. A whole 10% of all observed drivers in rural Manitoba were not wearing their seatbelt. In Winnipeg, only 3% of drivers observed didn’t buckle up before venturing on the road.

Another interesting fact from this study is that in cases where the driver was not wearing their seatbelt, 54% of passengers were also not wearing their seatbelt.

On the other hand, 10% of drivers in Winnipeg were reported to use of a cellphone or other electronic communication device at the wheel. The study found that 3% of rural Manitobans used such a device while driving.   

Overall, 7% of Manitoba drivers get distracted by their phones while driving, most of them are younger drivers.

A person is over 50 times more likely to be killed and almost four times more likely to be seriously injured in a collision when not wearing a seatbelt. And according to MPI data, distracted driving was linked to nearly 50 per cent of all fatalities and 37 per cent of all serious injuries in 2020,

“The purpose of this study was to obtain current rates of risky driving behaviour across Manitoba, with a focus on use of hand-operated electronic devices and seatbelt use,” said Satvir Jatana, MPI’s Chief Customer Officer in a press release.