A crown corporation is seeing a troubling trend of injuries and crashes occurring during long weekends.

MPI Media Relations Brian Smiley says Friday is historically the deadliest day of the long weekend.

"On average, one person is killed, and over 100 are injured each holiday weekend. Sadly, 35 per cent of those deaths take place on Friday. We're heading into the August long weekend, and we want to send a road safety message to everyone on the roads. Please be road safety conscious."

From April to June of 2020, 148 speed-related Serious Driving Offenses have occurred on Manitoba Roadways, a 60 per cent increase from 93 offences that occurred in the same period last year. 

"Typically there's heavier traffic volume meaning there are far more vehicles on the roadways on Friday as people head out to cottages, beaches, the campground. The most important thing to do is to be patient. If you can, leave a little bit earlier, you don't want to be rushing. We know that people are in a hurry to begin their holiday long weekend, but you want to have a safe and happy holiday weekend."

Smiley says in 2019, there were over 70 casualties on Manitoban roads.

"In 2019, there was a total of 77 people killed on our public roadways. As of the end of July of this year, our preliminary data reports 33 people killed on our public roadways. We are trending in a downward turn, but I think we would all agree that 33 is far too many, particularly for the families involved."

MPI is asking drivers to not text and drive, refrain from drinking and driving, and to slow down.