Buckling Up Saves Lives in Ontario
McGuinty Government Continues To Protect Ontario Families
Ontario’s annual seatbelt campaign kicks off today to remind drivers and passengers to buckle up and make sure children are properly secured in the right child car seat.
Wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to reduce the risk of injury or death in a collision. Since Ontario’s seatbelt law was introduced 35 years ago, it is estimated that seatbelt use has saved over 8,000 lives.
Since 2003, the McGuinty government has expanded the seatbelt laws to encourage more people to buckle up, including:
- Requiring every person in a motor vehicle to wear a seatbelt under the One Person, One Seatbelt Law
- Making it mandatory for anyone transporting children to ensure they are properly secured in an appropriate child car seat or booster seat
- Increasing fines for seatbelt, child seat and booster seat violations.
Ontario’s road safety partners, including police, fire and emergency services, community groups, health care professionals and injury prevention practitioners across the province are participating in the seatbelt campaign. The campaign runs from April 13 until April 23.
QUICK FACTS
- Recent statistics show that 96 per cent of all Ontarians buckle up on a regular basis, but that still leaves close to half a million who don’t.
- People in a crash are 22 to 33 times more likely to be killed if they are not wearing a seatbelt.
- In 1976, it became law to wear a seatbelt while driving in Ontario.
