A lot of accidents on the road happened because drivers are in a hurry and some are excessively speeding, distracted or simply intentionally do not follow the rules and regulations. Every year, about 421,000 people are injured in crashes that have involved a driver who was distracted in some way.
Justin Holz, who was an 8-year member of the Winnipeg Police Service, is facing a number of charges, including dangerous driving, dangerous driving causing death, and driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding eighty milligrams and thereby causing death.
Cody Severight, 23, died October 10th, 2017 after being hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and Sutherland Avenue.
In 2018 that number is already much higher throughout Canada. Manitoba alone seeing a 25% increase in road fatalities. Most of those accidents happening due to drivers being distracted and over 78% of them were texting, just imagine that number.
A 34-year-old Holz was initially charged with impaired driving causing death and failing to stop and the scene of an accident involving death. He now faces three additional charges.
He was released on a promise to appear in court and has been placed on administrative leave.
As per Winnipeg Police, the message is simple – NO to distracted driving.
To remind you, starting November 1st, 2018 Manitoba’s new distracted driving laws came into effect.
According to Manitoba Public Insurance, a total of 237 drivers province-wide have had their licenses suspended for the minimum three-day period since the new penalties came into place.
Unfortunately, a lot of those drivers are teenagers, who are not just irresponsible to their own vehicles and lives, but to other people’s health and lives as well.
So fellow Winnipeggers please don’t text and drive, follow the speed limits, the limits there for a good reason, keep our roads safe and easy to drive. Let’s all be responsible drivers and care for each other, so at the end of the day, we can all come back home to our loved ones.