It’s been the law in Saskatchewan for 40 years, yet not everyone is buckling up.
Police handed out over 3,700 tickets in 2017 to people failing to wear a seatbelt and in 2016, 25 per cent of people killed in collisions were not wearing a seatbelt or were improperly restrained.
In an effort to get everyone to buckle up, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is making seatbelts and car seats the focus of February’s traffic safety spotlight.
“Bucklng up takes only a couple of seconds and dramatically reduces your risk of death or serious injury in a collision,” Penny McCune, chief operating officer of the Auto Fund, said in a release.
“Even if you’re driving at non-highway speeds, a collision with another vehicle or object will cause your body to fly forward, directly into the steering wheel, windshield, or another passenger.”
SGI said a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h that comes to a sudden stop will turn a 70 kilogram person into a 1,400 kg projectile.
That is the same impact of someone falling from a four-storey building.
SGI has these tips to keep everyone safe on Saskatchewan roads:
- Always #BuckleUp before driving or riding in a vehicle.
- Make sure the shoulder belt fits snugly over the middle of your shoulder and across your chest.
- Don’t let children 12 and under sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
- Put blankets and coats over child seat straps – too much bulk under the straps means the seat can’t work properly.
- Remember that you should only be able to fit one finger between the harness straps and the child’s chest.
- Visit an SGI car seat clinic or book an appointment with a car seat technician in your community to make sure it fits right for the child.
Police will be looking for people not buckled up, wearing a seatbelt improperly or children not properly secured in car seats.
The fine is $175 and the loss of three safety rating points.
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