Fatal crashes spike in Manitoba with 48 deaths so far this year: RCMP

Fatal crashes spike in Manitoba with 48 deaths so far this year: RCMP

29 deaths on Manitoba highways in past 3 months alone, including 10 in July

There has been a dramatic rise in fatal collisions in Manitoba this year, RCMP say, urging caution as people hit highways, roads and trails this coming long weekend.

"We understand people want to have fun, but we also have to make sure people are responsible," said RCMP traffic services Sgt. Ryan Landry.

Mounties have responded to 43 fatal collisions in just seven months of 2026, resulting in 48 deaths.

That's up 23 per cent from this time last year, when there had been 39 deaths. This year's total is 34 per cent above the five-year average, police say.

There have been 29 deaths in the last three months alone, including 10 so far in July.

The numbers are concerning, Landry said in a Friday interview.

"It affects everybody from families to the first responders to the police," he said. "We're the ones that go out there, we have to deliver the bad news to the families."

Motorcycle fatalities in Manitoba this year already eclipse annual average

Fatal crash shuts down stretch of Highway 59 south of Winnipeg for several hours

The RCMP's statistics only reflect fatalities in their jurisdiction. They don't include those from municipalities with their own police forces, such as Winnipeg, Brandon, Winkler and Morden.

CBC News has asked the Winnipeg Police Service for their numbers this year but has not yet received that informaiton.

The RCMP did not have access to historical data on Friday, so couldn't say which year saw the highest number of fatalities.

A CBC story from 2016 reported 106 fatal crashes by December with RCMP estimating it could reach 115 by year's end.

Landry said there are likely several factors driving the spike, but said the number of deaths involving a driver impaired by drugs or alcohol is notable.

Impairment has been confirmed or suspected in 12 of the fatal crashes this year, though toxicology results are still pending in 10 of those cases.

By comparison, impairment was confirmed or suspected in 18 fatalities for the entirety of 2025, and 17 in 2024, another 18 in 2023 and 16 in 2022.

"We’re on track to be a five-year high for fatal collisions with suspected or confirmed impairment," Landry said.

"Our concern is that people are not getting the message, and it's frustrating."

Five of the deaths this year were crashes on off-road vehicles or dirt bikes. Helmets were not worn in at least three of those incidents, RCMP said.

Darren Bernhardt has been with CBC Manitoba since 2009 and specializes in offbeat and local history stories. He is the author of two bestselling books: The Lesser Known: A History of Oddities from the Heart of the Continent, and Prairie Oddities: Punkinhead, Peculiar Gravity and More Lesser Known Histories.