Wrong turn: MPI warns of increase in distracted driving

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This article was published 01/04/2025 (199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police are cracking down on distracted driving, leading to a spike in licence suspensions for people found on their phones or not paying attention to the roadway.

New data revealed by Manitoba Public Insurance Tuesday showed police across the province issued more licence suspensions in 2024 than in the previous five years.

The increase comes amid enhanced enforcement efforts from the Winnipeg Police Service, said traffic division Sgt. Marc Leveque.

“Stay off your phone while you’re driving, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “If you’re on your phone and you’re caught, there are consequences.”

“Stay off your phone while you’re driving, that’s the biggest thing. If you’re on your phone and you’re caught, there are consequences.”– Sgt. Marc Leveque

Last year, 2,817 drivers were suspended for three days for first-time distracted driving offences, while 150 repeat offenders were suspended for seven days. In 2023, there were 2,469 three-day suspensions and 98 seven-day suspensions, MPI said in a news release.

The public insurer called distracted driving the leading cause of roadway fatalities in Manitoba.

Distracted driving caused 675 collisions in the province last year. That is down from 2022, when a high of 795 was recorded. Roughly 60 per cent of all distracted driving crashes over the past three years have happened in Winnipeg, MPI said.

Many factors can take motorists’ attention away from the road, including cellphones, pets, children and other passengers. They all create a hazard by reducing reaction times, MPI said.

“When you aren’t looking at the road, you don’t have the ability to react to something unexpected, and those few seconds can be the difference between preventing a collision or causing one,” the news release said.

“Being distracted can cause you to swerve, run a red light or fail to notice vulnerable road users like pedestrians or cyclists, all of which can potentially have fatal consequences.”

“When you aren’t looking at the road, you don’t have the ability to react to something unexpected, and those few seconds can be the difference between preventing a collision or causing one.”– Manitoba Public Insurance

Leveque said Winnipeg police receive more complaints about cellphone use and speeding than any other traffic offences. Such reports help inform targeted enforcement operations, he said.

Drivers using their phones are easy to spot, no matter how stealthy they think they are, he said.

“We all know what the physical mannerisms of it are. The bobbing of the head up and down and the slouching — it’s quite easy for us to key into that. There are times where we’ll pull up and be sitting right next to somebody and they’ll be completely oblivious to us watching them,” he said.

Some motorists plead innocence, claiming they were stopped at a traffic light or only using their phones for a second; such excuses are unacceptable, Leveque said.

Road-safety educator Sandra LaRose knows first-hand the dangers posed by distracted driving. Her 16-year-old daughter Kailynn Bursic-Panchuk died in 2018 when she drove her vehicle into the path of a train. An investigation determined the teenager was blaring music and looking at her phone in the seconds before the collision.

“I anticipated that she was going to be coming home and we would be having supper, doing the chores and everything else. Instead, six days later, I’m signing the consent form for organ donation. People just need to realize that your fast-paced life can end,” LaRose said by phone.

“After losing my daughter, I am hyper-aware. I can immediately tell when someone is on their phone. Nobody thinks they are doing anything wrong, but yet it’s illegal.”– Sandra LaRose

The bereaved mother noted distracted driving is statistically as dangerous as driving while impaired, but is not seen that way by the general public. She urged motorists to remain focused on the road.

“After losing my daughter, I am hyper-aware. I can immediately tell when someone is on their phone,” she said. “Nobody thinks they are doing anything wrong, but yet it’s illegal.”

LaRose said she is pleased WPS officers are on the hunt for distracted drivers. The high number of licence suspensions shows it is a prevailing issue in Manitoba, she said.

Fines for people caught driving while distracted can reach up to $672 and cost five demerits on MPI’s scale. Repeat offences can result in a licence suspension. Additional penalties can be imposed for offences caused by distraction, including running red lights or causing collisions.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca