OPP: Easter Long Weekend Travel – Buckle up Ontario!

Orillia – As families across the province get ready for Easter long weekend road travel, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding drivers and passengers that the safest place to be during a collision is in your seat, behind your seatbelt.

Over the weekend, the OPP will conduct a seatbelt safety campaign, hoping to see every driver and passenger buckled up rather than being handed a provincial offence notice for non-compliance with this important law.

In the last full five-year period (2019-2023), the deaths of 296 people on OPP-patrolled roads have been attributed to not wearing a seatbelt.

“Attending the scene of a fatal collision is one of the most difficult calls for service that our frontline officers and emergency partners respond to. More often than not, if seatbelts had been worn, lives would have been saved. Wearing a seatbelt and ensuring children are properly restrained gives you and your family the best chance of surviving and reducing injuries if you are involved in a collision. Please buckle up.” said Thomas CARRIQUE, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner.

“Seatbelts save lives. As we head into the long weekend, I encourage everyone to buckle up to keep themselves and their families safe. The decision to wear a seatbelt can be the difference between life and death.” commented Michael KERZNER, Ontario Solicitor General.

QUICK FACTS

· In 2023, 67 fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads were attributed to seatbelts not being worn.

· The OPP laid close to 10,000 seatbelt charges in 2023.

· The OPP patrols more than 130,000 kilometres of roadway and over 99,000 kilometres of water­ways and trails throughout Ontario.

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Seatbelt Safety