MPI is cracking down on drunk drivers.

The 17th annual May long weekend RoadWatch program will provide funding to nine police agencies (Winnipeg, RCMP, Brandon, Morden, Winkler, Altona, Dakota, Rivers and Ste. Anne) for additional impaired driving roadside checks until the end of November.

“Manitoba Public Insurance is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eliminate alcohol-related deaths and injuries,” said Ward Keith, acting vice president of business development and communications for Manitoba Public Insurance. “While fatalities and serious injuries related to impaired driving have been declining steadily over the past 10 years, we still lose far too many Manitobans in impaired driving crashes every single year.”

In the last five years, nearly 1,300 impaired drivers were removed from Manitoba roads by the program — 300 last year alone.

About 1/3 of Manitoba road fatalities involve an impaired driver.

Younger drivers are more frequently in impaired collisions, with young males the highest demographic — they're involved in 3/4 of impaired driving collisions.

This story will be updated.