More than 70 people have died in collisions in Manitoba this year, according to the RCMP, who are asking people to drive with caution.
The reminder was issued after two 19-year-olds died in separate collisions within the last week, the Manitoba RCMP said in a news release. Thus far in 2026, police have responded to 65 fatal collisions.
Eight people died in collisions this month, contributing to the sum 73 people who have died in collisions this year in the RCMP’s response areas. That figure is 28 per cent higher than the five-year average, according to RCMP. It said 25 of the 73 people who died in collisions this year were under 30 years old.
In Winnipeg, police are pushing for pedestrian safety. In an email to Global News, the Winnipeg Police Service stated that 13 people died in collisions on the city’s roads so far in 2026, compared to a total of 17 people killed last year.
“People losing their lives in Manitoba has a devastating effect on families of those people [who were] lost. In addition to the first responders that are going to those scenes, those crashes,” Staff Sgt. John Greer, the enforcement commander for Manitoba RCMP traffic services, said in an interview.
No precise cause for the uptick in events was identified by police, but Greer said various factors played a role in several of the fatalities.
“It could be handheld devices, cell phones. It could be inexperienced drivers. It could be [people] just not paying attention to the road conditions or the traffic patterns that are happening at the time,” he added. “Impaired driving is a significant cause of collisions. Both fatal collisions and significant injuries.”
In response, he said the Manitoba RCMP is increasing patrols on the roads in high and low traffic areas.
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Lucky Adams lives on Main Street and volunteers with Streets for People of Winnipeg, a group that advocates for a walkable Winnipeg that does not have any traffic fatalities.
They said they first became “acutely aware” of how dangerous cars were when they started biking as their main mode of transportation.
“[Cars] are getting bigger and bigger every year. It makes it safer for the people inside of the cars. It’s actually very dangerous for the people outside of the cars,” Adams said.
They told Global News that the city seems to care about car traffic, with little regard for non-drivers.
The Manitoba RCMP is reminding drivers to stay sober when getting behind the wheel, keep an eye out for other drivers, pedestrians and wildlife, and stay off their phones while driving.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
