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Seatbelt campaign on OPP's radar this Easter weekend

A driver or passenger can be charged and face a fine between $200 to $1,000 and demerit points for seatbelt infractions
Seatbelt shutterstock

OPP will be on patrol this Easter long weekend with a seatbelt campaign that will be running today until April 18.

They'll also be looking for drivers not following the speed limit, driving distracted, and not adjusting driving according to weather and road conditions.

This campaign is the first of 10 annual provincial traffic safety campaigns.

"Road fatalities that are related to the lack of an occupant restraint are highly preventable so even one death in this category of causal factors is one too many," says  Constable Bev Gauthier. "A properly worn seatbelt greatly increases your chances of surviving a motor vehicle collision.

"If one person decides not to wear a seatbelt, yourself and others in the vehicle are also at risk of serious injury. A seatbelt keeps you inside the vehicle during a collision and without a seatbelt, passengers become high-speed projectiles. "

A driver or passenger can be charged and face a fine between $200 to $1,000 and demerit points for seatbelt infractions. Drivers are legally responsible for ensuring that passengers under the age of 16 are buckled up in a seatbelt, or an appropriate child car seat or booster.

The Ministry of Transportation's website has comprehensive information, including videos about properly restraining your child and car seat installation.