RCMP remind motorists to buckle up

The Nova Scotia RCMP are asking motorists to protect themselves by buckling up every time they get into a vehicle.

In 2019, Nova Scotia RCMP responded to 41 serious and fatal collisions where at least one person was not wearing their seatbelt or was wearing one incorrectly. This reality is why, the RCMP says, it uses enforcement to encourage motorists to buckle up.

In 2019, Nova Scotia laid over 1,523 charges for not wearing a seat belt or wearing one incorrectly.

“I’ve seen collisions where vehicles were in pieces and wreckage covered the road but the people wore seatbelts and walked away,” says Cpl. Lisa Croteau of the Nova Scotia RCMP. “Seatbelts are your final line of defence in a collision. They work to keep you in place so you aren’t thrown into other people, the window, dashboard or road.”

A seatbelt should be used properly and be in good condition. It should only be worn as directed by the manufacturer (for example, a shoulder strap should not be tucked behind the back). Improperly wearing or altering a seatbelt in Nova Scotia can result in the same consequences as not wearing one at all.

Fines start at $180 and add two points to your licence.

The driver is responsible for ensuring that passengers under 16 are wearing a seatbelt. Children can use an adult seatbelt when they are nine years old or 4-foot-9 (145 cm). Otherwise, kids must be buckled in using a car seat or booster seat. Parents and guardians can help kids stay safe by enforcing and modelling wearing seatbelts so that children develop habits they continue for the rest of their lives.

Seatbelts save lives and they are your last line of defence in a collision, says the RCMP who want people to remember this message: Improve your odds of survival in a collision by buckling up every time.