Police to launch seatbelt blitz, warning of dangers

THAT 40 PER CENT of fatalities in vehicle collisions involve the small minority – about seven per cent – of Canadians who don’t wear seatbelts is a red flag for police groups.

In Ontario, the OPP have investigated 34 road fatalities so far this year in which the victims were reportedly not wearing a seatbelt. There were 30 such deaths at this time last year (2017), with lack of occupant restraint being linked to 49 deaths by the end of the year, the OPP reported this week.

Gearing up for their fall seatbelt campaign, the OPP is reminding drivers and passengers that air bags do not replace seatbelts and are designed to work with seat belts, not instead of them. When a frontal collision launches vehicle occupants toward the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield – even at low speeds – without a seatbelt, the outcome can be catastrophic even if the air bag deploys.

“Regardless of technological advances in vehicle safety, a seatbelt remains your first line of defence and your best chance of surviving a collision. While air bags are a second line of defence, they will not restrain you. Only your seatbelt can hold you in place. Whether you are a driver or passenger, don’t let anyone in a vehicle be without their seatbelt properly fastened,” suggested OPP deputy commissioner Brad Blair in a statement.