Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is sponsoring MADD Canada's impaired driving presentations in Manitoba schools for the 2026-2027 school year.
The province's public auto insurer is funding 109 sessions for students in grades 7 to 12.
The tour started on October 7 at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg. Schools can host the one-hour program as an assembly, in the classroom or online. It includes a new film about a young driver's reckless decision, an interactive quiz and follow-up materials for teachers.
MPI said its road safety data shows young Manitoba drivers are 2.4 times more likely than other drivers to be involved in a severe collision involving impairment.
“At MPI, we understand the impact we can have in changing that statistic by talking to new drivers as early as possible to ensure they understand the risks of driving impaired while empowering them to make safe choices behind the wheel,” said Maria Campos, MPI’s vice president and chief customer and product officer.
MPI’s figures reflect a pattern that has shown up in the insurer’s data for years. In earlier releases, MPI reported that drivers under 35 accounted for most of the impaired drivers involved in crashes and had a far higher crash involvement rate than older drivers. The Crown corporation has also said that about 25 people are killed each year on Manitoba roads in impaired driving collisions.
MADD Canada said road crashes are a leading cause of death among Canadian youth, with alcohol, cannabis or other drugs involved in more than half of them.
The presentations include victim stories. One is from the family of Martin Robak, a Manitoban killed in an impaired driving crash in 2018. His daughter, Mady, spoke at the launch. MADD Canada national president Trisha Dosaj, who was injured in a 2013 impaired driving crash that killed members of her family, said personal stories help students understand the lasting impact of these crashes.
Why a public insurer funds prevention
For MPI, impaired driving prevention is tied directly to claims. Manitoba operates a public, no-fault auto insurance model. MPI pays injury benefits through its Personal Injury Protection Plan regardless of who caused a crash, so serious injuries from impaired collisions show up in its costs and, over time, in the rates set for all drivers.
That gives MPI a financial reason to reach drivers before they are licensed. The insurer runs its own High School Driver Education program and has sponsored enforcement campaigns such as RoadWatch, alongside its support for MADD’s school tour.
For Manitoba’s independent brokers, who sell Autopac coverage on MPI’s behalf, the insurer’s road safety work rarely comes up with clients. It does, however, sit behind the young driver premiums and Driver Safety Rating outcomes that families with new drivers ask about.
