The Ontario Provincial Police is asking drivers to buckle up with a reminder that it could save lives.
Last week, a 55-year-old man was ejected from his car in a fatal crash that occurred on the 401 east of Cambridge. It followed another crash on Highway 427 a day earlier in which a 29-year-old driver died after being ejected from his vehicle.
Now police are urging drivers to make sure that putting on a seatbelt is the first thing they do when getting behind the wheel.
In 2021, 47 people were killed in vehicle collisions where lack of seatbelt was a factor, according to OPP.
“While the majority of road users understand the lifesaving value of seatbelts, the many excuses for failing to buckle up cost road users their lives year after year,” said OPP in a press release.
Police services want to remind drivers that even when driving at slow speeds or short distances, seatbelts are not optional.
Drivers are required by law to make sure themselves and their passengers are properly buckled.
This is also important for children in the car too. This year alone close to 1,000 seatbelt related tickets have been issued.
The Ontario government gives tips and guidelines to properly choosing a safe child seat for your family.
“OPP officers will be doing their part to keep the motoring public safe over the Easter long weekend, with a focus on seatbelt law enforcement and education throughout the province,” said OPP.
In the last 10 years 542 people have died in collisions in which lack of seatbelt use was a factor in their deaths.
Age demographics show that vehicle occupants between the ages of 25 and 34 had the highest rate of fatalities, accounting for 24 per cent of the deaths.
The 15 to 24 year age range was the second, at 22.3 per cent. Finally, 35 to 44 year-olds at 13.5 per cent of those involved in fatal accidents where seatbelts were a factor.
