Road fatalities in 2016 have almost doubled from the same time last year.

RCMP Sergeant Bert Paquet says in the past few years the number of fatalities in Manitoba has been steadily decreasing, however, year to date, the number of fatalities in Manitoba has almost doubled from 27 in 2015 to 51 in 2016. Paquet adds the highest contributing factors to fatalities on the road are attributed to impaired driving, high speeds, and distracted driving.

"Unfortunately, people are still making that decision to drive while distracted. There are proven cases in our province where it has killed people and when we're asking drivers to not drive distracted, we're not asking them to do more, we're actually asking them to do less."

Paquet notes if an individual has an addiction to their electronic device they should turn it off or put it somewhere unreachable, such as the trunk of their vehicle. If the call or message is important enough to be read or responded to immediately, he says to pull over where your not putting yourself or anyone else at risk.

"People that have a drivers license are actually 16-years of age, most of them are adults, grown-ups, that know right from wrong and make decisions based on their priority," says Paquet. "Their safety and the safety of others on the road should be their priority."

He says it's important to stay sober while driving, something the RCMP has been promoting for decades, adding reducing speed is the key the staying safe. Paquet adds drivers are in a rush and don't give themselves the extra time to arrive at their destination, especially when they encounter construction or delays. He notes when a driver gives themselves extra time, they are relaxed because they're not constantly looking at their watch or feeling in a hurry which, in turn, creates a safer driving experience.

"What's an extra five seconds, thirty seconds or one minutes in your day, week or month," say Paquet when talking about trying to get ahead in traffic. "If you're taking a risk to save five seconds, the lasting consequences could be years, decades or a lifetime."

While there were 27 fatalities at this time last year, in the entire year of 2015 there was a total of 70 fatalities; seven from ATV's or dirt bikes, six were pedestrians or cyclists, five from motorcycles and 52 vehicle collisions. In 2016, year to date, there have been five pedestrians, four were from ATV's or dirt bikes, two from motorcycles, another two from tractor accidents, two from snowmobiles and 36 were vehicle collisions.