On average, there are 3,200 vehicular accidents on Manitoba gravel roads every year, 500 of which result in injury and 14 are fatal. This is one of the reasons why Manitoba Public Insurance is implementing a mandatory gravel road training component to its high school driver education program come September, says MPI spokesperson Brian Smiley.

Smiley said this change will allow students to learn how to handle their vehicle on loose gravel and how to navigate washboard conditions in a controlled situation.

Additionally, Manitoba Public Insurance and the RCMP have partnered together for a gravel road safety campaign, which has been running since April. MPI is currently paying for overtime hours of officers to increase their presence on gravel roads in an effort to remind drivers to slow down and pay attention.

"It's to raise awareness to motorists out there who think that high-risk driving behaviour is acceptable on gravel roads, [but] it is not. The RCMP are watching," said Smiley.

He noted that this campaign extends to highway driving as well. Since the end of July, nearly 500 highway traffic offences have been issued by the RCMP, including 190 speeding and 21 non-seatbelt, he said.