FORT FRANCES – You can not say you have not been warned! The Rainy River District Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be out patrolling district roadways, specifically targeting seat belt offenders during the fall Seat Belt Campaign from September 26 to October 5, 2018.
257,475 seat belt charges have been laid over the last ten years, with 25 to 34 year-olds being issued more charges (63,846) than any other demographic. Drivers and passengers aged 35 to 44 come in second with 50,863 charges and 45 to 54 year-olds are right behind with 50,488 charges.
49 people who died after being involved in collisions and were not safely buckled in at the time. Failure to wear or properly wear a seat belt has contributed to 639 deaths on OPP-patrolled roads in the last ten years.
As a driver or passenger, it’s important to respect the lifesaving value of a seat belt and the proven fact that the best position to be in during a crash is securely fastened in your seat.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Drivers are responsible for ensuring that all passengers under 16 years of age are using the seat belt or an appropriate child car seat.
- Seat belts worn correctly can reduce the chances of death and serious injuries in a collision by approximately 50 percent. (Transport Canada)
- Airbags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. If you are unbuckled, you could be thrown into an opening airbag and be injured or killed.
