As Saskatchewan’s seatbelt law turns 40, officials are reminding the public of some simple safety on the highways this long weekend.
In 1977, Saskatchewan became the third province in the country to mandate seatbelts, following Ontario and Quebec.
Currently, seatbelt usage in Saskatchewan is about 93 per cent. While it’s come along way, SGI Media Relations Manager Tyler McMurchy says there’s still room for improvement.
“Transport Canada tells us about 93 per cent of people in Saskatchewan wear their seatbelts, however that seven per cent is way overrepresented when it comes to traffic fatalities,” said McMurchy. “About 27 per cent of vehicle occupants who were killed in traffic fatalities in 2016 were killed as a result of not wearing their seatbelt or not wearing it properly.”
To mark the 40th anniversary of Saskatchewan’s seatbelt law, SGI did a simulated demonstration of a test dummy being tossed for a rolling vehicle Wednesday morning.
With a seatbelt, the test dummy stayed put. Without a seatbelt, the dummy was thrown from the vehicle in a matter of seconds.
It only takes three seconds to put on a seatbelt.
Officials say it’s an important reminder heading into increased highway traffic over the long weekend.
“Generally speaking, on long weekends you do see more traffic, and that can result in a greater number of traffic collisions,” said McMurchy.
“Everybody is heading to the lake, heading to their celebrations, we want to make sure people get there safe and sound. So obviously, make sure you’re not impaired, make sure you respect the speed limits and make sure that you wear your seatbelt.”
It’s a message that the RCMP wants to send to the public as well.
“If you can stay in that vehicle, your chances are much better, always wear your seatbelts,” said RCMP Cpl. Jeff Burnett.
On Wednesday, the RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstruction Program was performing semi skid tests, to help them gather information for collision investigations.
Officers say it can be a reminder for motorists to share the highway, and keep your distance.
“They’re big and they need room to stop. We’ve actually been quite surprised at how quickly they do stop, but they still need a lot of room so don’t get in their way,” said Cpl. Burnett.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize that they need a lot more space. There’s a lot more weight, there’s a lot more tires, and they don’t react as quickly as a small vehicle.”
Cpl. Burnett says the majority of highway collisions involving large commercial vehicles, happen when smaller vehicles hit the semi, potentially from travelling too close.
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