MPI shares tips for driving now that the snow has arrived

Manitoba Public Insurance is urging drivers to slow down and have some patience when they get behind the wheel this winter. (CTV News Winnipeg)

With snow on the ground and ice on the roads, Manitoba Public Insurance is urging drivers to slow down and have some patience when they get behind the wheel.

The Crown corporation said of the 43,552 collisions that happened last winter, 6,304 noted careless driving as a contributing factor.

“I know drivers can be very impatient as we are all adjusting to the road conditions, so I think I would ask drivers, you really need to amplify your patience,” Maria Campos, vice-president and chief customer and product officer with MPI said at a news conference Monday.

“You may have adjusted already, but the individual that is in front of you, behind you or beside you may still be adjusting to the conditions in front of them.”

MPI had some tips for drivers on the road this winter: increase the distance between vehicles, brake earlier, don’t use cruise control, clear all snow and ice off your vehicle, and keep an emergency kit in the vehicle in case you get stuck.

It also encouraged Manitobans to get winter tires on their vehicles.

“Winter roads demand respect, and while we can’t control the weather, we can control how we respond to it,” said Terris Baran, senior manager of road safety programming at Safety Services Manitoba.

Baran said one way Manitobans can make a difference is to avoid spinning their tires. He said when you spin your vehicle’s tires, that creates friction and forms ice—making intersections a particularly slippery spot.