One-Third of the Vehicle Occupant Deaths on Provincial Roads Caused by Not Wearing a Seatbelt
New year, same age-old problem.
No, we’re not referring to breaking your New Year’s resolutions. We’re talking about seatbelts and how hundreds of people every month in Saskatchewan still receive tickets for not wearing them. It’s hard to understand why that still happens.
Seatbelts have been law in Saskatchewan since 1977 – that’s 45 years ago. And there is a mountain of scientific evidence that seatbelts save lives; not wearing one significantly increases the chances that you’ll be seriously injured – or worse – if you’re involved in a collision. In 2021, one-third of the vehicle occupant deaths on Saskatchewan roads involved a person who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. (Since approximately 95 per cent of people do buckle up, that means the people who don’t are more likely be killed in a collision.)
If wearing a seatbelt is part of your everyday driving routine, good for you. If it hasn’t been yet, it’s time to make it one of your New Year’s resolutions. If you need any extra motivation, during the January Traffic Safety Spotlight, law enforcement across the province in January will be watching for drivers who aren’t buckled up.
Clicking your seatbelt every time you drive very well could be the easiest resolution to keep. There’s no strict diet to follow, a treadmill and weights are not required and no personal trainers demanding “five more!” after you’ve reached your breaking point.
Buckling a seatbelt requires minimal effort and is as simple as it sounds. No strain, no stress, no sweat. But what you will gain is peace of mind knowing you’re safely secured in your seat.
For caregivers transporting the most precious of passengers – young children – make sure they are buckled in securely and that car seats, if any, have been properly installed and inspected by a technician.
There are a million reasons why every driver should buckle up when they drive. What’s your reason?
Bonus tip: In addition to ensuring that passengers are properly restrained, are the objects in the passenger compartment of your vehicle adequately secured? In the event of a collision or a rollover, anything not strapped down can become a projectile with the potential to injure the people in the vehicle. (Think about your travel mug, your kid’s tablet or the pair of skates in the backseat.)
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