Local RCMP detachments are stepping up their highway patrols this weekend. Staff Sergeant Rheal Gravel of the St. Pierre detachment explains this is Canada Road Safety Week, an annual collaborative effort by all Canadian police services that's designed to target high risk driving behaviours that put all road users at risk.

"What we're planning on doing is having a higher visibility of our police members in marked cruisers and looking for people that may be breaking some road laws like impaired driving, failure to use a seatbelt, distracted driving and especially the aggressive driving habits of some. That's what we're looking at this weekend to try and bring that down a bit."

He adds Saturday is also National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day and police will be doing their part to keep impaired drivers off of the roads.

"We're concentrating mostly on impaired drivers but also all the other high risk behaviours. 40% of all traffic fatalities in Manitoba are caused by impaired driving so this is one of the statistics behind our efforts right now."

RCMP are hoping for a safe May long weekend noting there have already been 30 fatal accidents in Manitoba this year compared to 13 up to this time last year.