Police will be out in force this weekend

By Jayvon Lake

BELLEVILLE – Over the Easter long weekend, the Ontario Provincial Police will conduct provincewide enforcement of seatbelt laws.

The campaign comes as the number of deaths caused by people not wearing seatbelts continues to decline. There were 50 seatbelt-related deaths in Ontario last year, much fewer than the 120 deaths in 2005, the OPP say.

Between 2005 and 2014, 856 people died in road crashes in which not wearing a seatbelt was a factor in their deaths, the OPP reported Thursday morning.  More than two-thirds of those killed – a total of 646 – were males, and 210 were females. The majority of those who died were drivers – 611 of the total. The other 245 were passengers.

The OPP are issuing a reminder to passengers, in particular those who sit in the back seat, that they need to buckle up. When a collision occurs with unbuckled passengers in the back seat, they can become high-speed projectiles inside the vehicle, striking those in the front seats.

Over and above enforcing seatbelt compliance this weekend, the OPP will be checking for speeding, distracted driving and driving after consuming alcohol or drugs.