Officials are reminding Ontarians that “five seconds can save your life” for the launch of the OPP’s annual fall seat belt campaign.
The OPP, which has investigated 347 deaths of unbuckled vehicle occupants over the past five years, is calling on drivers and passengers to help conduct a successful province-wide campaign from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7.
Between 2011 and 2015, the OPP investigated more than 360,000 fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle collisions. In response to these incidents, officers have had to rescue thousands of victims amid the wreckage. As first responders and collision subject matter experts, they know that a road crash – even a low speed crash – is an uncompromising ordeal for vehicle occupants. They also know that not wearing a seat belt is a game changer when it comes to the chances of surviving a crash and reducing the severity of injuries.
“Every year, our officers tend to crash victims of all ages who are not buckled in at the time of the collision,” said PPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair. “More often than not, they die as a result of being ejected, partially ejected or from the physical trauma they sustained inside the vehicle … Every life is worth the five seconds it takes to buckle up.”
