With lack of seatbelt use attributed to 55 people dying on OPP patrolled roads last year, the OPP is giving seatbelt skeptics a few scenarios to consider that could save their lives.
Unbuckled crash survivors are not common to collisions
At any given second, an aggressive, impaired or distracted driver can collide with your vehicle, subjecting the body of an unrestrained driver or passenger to a level of crash force from which few people survive. You may not be able to stop a dangerous driver from crashing into your car, but by wearing a seatbelt, you can greatly reduce their chances of killing you.
Can a seatbelt hurt you?
In a crash, your seatbelt is one of the few things that can actually save you. Reliance on an airbag alone is not enough. If you don’t wear your seatbelt during a crash, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag, the force of which could seriously injure or even kill you.
Don’t skip due diligence when choosing a child car seat
Keeping your child safe at all times includes the time they spend travelling in a car (or booster) seat. A recent national roadside study found that close to 75 per cent of car seats were used or installed incorrectly. The safest car seat for your child is one that accommodates your child’s age, height and weight, has a National Safety Mark label and is properly installed.
Over the Easter Long Weekend, the OPP will be highly visible on roads, conducting targeted enforcement of Ontario seatbelt laws. Officers are hoping to see 100 per cent compliance rather than issue tickets to unrestrained drivers and passengers who dismiss the risks of not buckling up that cost people their lives every year.
In Canada, motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of death in children.
Children under the age of 13, regardless of their size, are safest in the back seat of a vehicle, away from active frontal air bags.