Manitoba Public Insurance’s popular “Friends for Life” speaker series continues to impact the lives of thousands of teenagers across the province.
The series, which began earlier this month, features four speakers touring more than 50 schools during the month of November. A special “Friends For Life” event was held Wednesday at Oak Park High School in Winnipeg to coincide with the National Day of Remembrance for road crash victims.
“About a third of all fatal crashes and injuries in Manitoba are related to drinking and driving,” said MaryAnn Kempe, Vice-President, Community & Corporate Relations, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Year after year, the speakers in the “Friends For Life” series deliver powerful, emotional, true stories about the physical devastation and emotional trauma caused by this dangerous and deadly activity.”
This year’s speaker series, which is brought to students in partnership with the Manitoba School Board Association (MSBA) and Teens Against Drinking and Driving (TADD), is headlined by Joan Parsons, who has lost four loved ones in three separate collisions – all of which involved an impaired driver.
“Joan has been through more in the past twenty years than most of us can even begin to imagine,” said Kempe.
Joan was devastated when she lost her son because of an impaired driver. Eight years later, her sister and brother-in-law were killed when their car was rear-ended by an impaired driver. A third tragedy struck her family when Joan’s brother was killed by an impaired driver.
Manitoba Public Insurance is committed to encouraging safe driving behavior and is an active member of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), which is spearheading the 6th annual National Day of Remembrance for road crash victims.
“Statistics show that young Manitobans are over-represented in impaired driving collisions and convictions,” added Kempe. “Teens aged 16 to 19 are particularly vulnerable, with seven of eight deaths in this age group determined to be alcohol-related.
