The OPP want to remind the public that seatbelts save lives.
According to the OPP there have been 29 fatalities on roads they patrol that could have been avoided through seatbelt use. Wearing a seatbelt is crucial to surviving a crash and the OPP hope to drive this home during their Fall Seatbelt Campaign.
The OPP say that if one person in a vehicle is unbuckled the risk of death or serious injury goes up for everyone in the vehicle, whether they are wearing a seatbelt or not. In the case of a head on collision any unbuckled passenger will keep moving forward at the speed the car was travelling before the impact. This adds risk for anyone in the front seat.
If anyone under the age of 16 in your vehicle is not wearing a seatbelt, or properly secured into a child car seat, you can be charged. If found guilty you can be fined between $200-$1,000 and receive two demerit points. Passengers over the age of 16 are responsible for buckling themselves in.
The campaign runs from September 27th until October 6th.