09-26-2006, 09:59 PM
Ontario launches annual fall seatbelt campaign
Toronto, Ontario - Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield has launched Ontario's annual fall seatbelt campaign, which runs until October 8. The campaign reminds all drivers to make sure everyone is buckled up, especially young passengers.
"Since January 1, 1976, when Ontario became the first province in Canada with a mandatory seatbelt law, we have been a leader in North America when it comes to road safety," Cansfield says. "But there is always more we can do. There are 680,000 people who still don't regularly wear a seatbelt."
In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, about one-third of all drivers and passengers killed in motor vehicle collisions on Ontario roads were not wearing seatbelts. Last year, the Ontario government made booster seats mandatory for children under the age of eight who weigh between 18 and 36 kg (40 to 80 lbs) and are less than 145 cm (4 feet, 9 inches) tall. Drivers who fail to use booster or child car seats for young passengers, or who use them incorrectly, face two demerit points, plus a $110 fine.
Toronto, Ontario - Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield has launched Ontario's annual fall seatbelt campaign, which runs until October 8. The campaign reminds all drivers to make sure everyone is buckled up, especially young passengers.
"Since January 1, 1976, when Ontario became the first province in Canada with a mandatory seatbelt law, we have been a leader in North America when it comes to road safety," Cansfield says. "But there is always more we can do. There are 680,000 people who still don't regularly wear a seatbelt."
In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, about one-third of all drivers and passengers killed in motor vehicle collisions on Ontario roads were not wearing seatbelts. Last year, the Ontario government made booster seats mandatory for children under the age of eight who weigh between 18 and 36 kg (40 to 80 lbs) and are less than 145 cm (4 feet, 9 inches) tall. Drivers who fail to use booster or child car seats for young passengers, or who use them incorrectly, face two demerit points, plus a $110 fine.