The Ontario Ministry of Transportation reminds drivers and passengers to buckle up and make sure children are properly secured in the right child car seat or booster seat.
Recent ministry statistics show that 96 per cent of all Ontarians buckle up on a regular basis — but about half a million still don’t.
During a collision, properly fastened seatbelts help to distribute the collision forces over larger and stronger parts of the person’s body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders. The seatbelt stretches slightly to slow your body down and to increase its stopping distance. Using seatbelts is the single most effective way to reduce collision related injuries and deaths. People in collisions are 36-times more likely to be killed if they are not wearing a seatbelt.
In 1976, Ontario was the first province to require all drivers and passengers to wear a seatbelt. It is estimated that this law has saved more than 9,000 lives. Since then the law has been strengthened by:
- increased fines for seatbelt, child car seat, and booster seat violations
- a requirement that every vehicle occupant be buckled up – one person, one seatbelt
- use of an appropriate booster or child car seat became mandatory for anyone transporting children in a motor vehicle
So buckle up and be safe!
To help you install your child’s car seat correctly, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation has developed a series of videos.
Last updated: August 2018