Saskatchewan police focus on occupant restraints in March

Police across Saskatchewan are sharing their Click It Or Ticket message in advance of their March focus on seatbelt used.

Seatbelts save lives. They can decrease the chances of sustaining a serious injury in a traffic crash by as much as 50 per cent. That’s why seatbelt and car seat use is the traffic safety spotlight for March. Police will be looking for people not wearing their seatbelt, wearing them improperly, or not having child passengers properly restrained in the vehicle.

In 2013, improper or non-seatbelt use contributed to a total of 27 deaths and 204 injuries in the province. Ninety-one of those injuries and three of those deaths were children under the age of seven. Seven of the children injured were not restrained at all or were improperly restrained. In addition, 29 of the injured children were belted by a seatbelt that may have been inappropriate (e.g., child too small for the seatbelt).

Effective June 27, 2014, booster seats became mandatory for children under seven years of age, less than 145 cm (4’9”) in height and 36 kg (80 lb.) in weight. Drivers convicted of not wearing a seatbelt, or not properly restraining child passengers will receive a $175 fine and three demerits on SGI’s Safe Driver Recognition program. Depending where drivers sit on the safety scale, they may also have to pay a financial penalty or lose insurance discounts.

Visit www.sgi.sk.ca to learn more about the new traffic laws, child seats or for information about the Road Safety Challenge.