Provincial police officers are calling on drivers and passengers to help them conduct a successful province-wide fall seat belt campaign.
The blitz will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7.
OPP say the crackdown is prompted by the deaths of 347 unbuckled vehicle occupants in OPP-investigated collisions over the past five years.
Between 2011 and 2015, OPP investigated more than 360,000 fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle collisions. In response to these incidents, officers have had to rescue thousands of victims amid the wreckage.
As first responders and collision subject matter experts, they know that a road crash- even a low speed crash- is an uncompromising ordeal for vehicle occupants.
Police say not wearing a seat belt is a game changer when it comes to your chances of surviving a crash and reducing the severity of your injuries.
“Every year, our officers tend to crash victims of all ages who are not buckled in at the time of the collision,” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair.
“More often than not, they die as a result of being ejected, partially ejected or from the physical trauma they sustained inside the vehicle.”
He said fortunately officers have also witnessed numerous victims survive their ordeal as a result of being restrained in their seat.
“Every life is worth the five seconds it takes to buckle up,” said Blair.
So far this year, OPP say 40 people have lost their lives in collisions in which they were found not wearing their seat belt.
During the OPP’s 10-day campaign, officers will be conducting enforcement and education that focuses on seat belt laws. They hope to see all drivers and passengers safely buckled in rather than have to issue tickets for seat belt violations.
