Police forces around Ontario are reminding drivers and passengers to wear their seat belts this Easter long weekend.
“Seat belts help save lives and reduce injuries,” said Sgt. Sean Harding in a statement from the London Police Service Traffic Management Unit.
Members of both the Ontario Provincial Police and London police are conducting a seat belt enforcement blitz Friday, April 19th to Monday, April 22nd. According to London police, the initiative is a reminder for people to wear their seat belts to help save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways.
In the first quarter of 2019, London police have laid 82 seat belt-related formal warnings at charges. In all, 254 were issued in 2018.
Const. Bernie Martin from the London Police Traffic Management Unit told Global News Radio 980 CFPL he’s still seeing drivers and passengers unbuckled.
“I’ve seen people not wear their seat belts and have serious injuries as a result of being tossed around that car when they really didn’t need to be,” he said.
According to Transport Canada statistics, in 2017, 27 per cent of drivers killed and 10 per cent of those seriously injured in collisions across Canada were not wearing a seat belt. For passengers, 31 per cent of those killed and 17 per cent of those seriously injured were not buckled in.
It won’t necessarily be easy to spot officers this weekend. Martin explained that many police officers will be undercover.
“We will be utilizing unmarked vehicles,” Martin said. “We’re going to be using some other techniques that aren’t going to be too easy to thwart, in our efforts to see these offences.”
The fine for not wearing a seat belt or for wearing it improperly is $240 plus the victim surcharge.
The reminder isn’t about only wearing seat belts, it is about wearing them properly. But police confirmed they will still be on the lookout for those committing other offences as well.
“Speeding, going through intersections, stop sights, red lights, impaired. This doesn’t preclude any other enforcement.”
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