|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S NEWS | SEARCH THE NEWSROOM | NEWS BY MINISTRY |
<<
Annual Fall Seatbelt Campaign September 23 to October 8
>>
TORONTO, Sept. 25 /CNW/ - Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield today
launched Ontario's annual fall seatbelt campaign with a reminder to 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," said Cansfield. "But there is always more we can do.
There are 680,000 people who still don't regularly wear a seatbelt."
Ontario's fall seatbelt campaign focuses attention on proper seatbelt and
child car seat use. 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.
"Our government is on the side of Ontario families concerned about
safety," said Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte
Kwinter. "Mandatory seatbelt laws are a valuable tool in helping our law
enforcement officers keep Ontario roads safe."
Last year, the government built on Ontario's safety legacy by making
booster seats mandatory for children under the age of eight who weigh between
18 kg and 36 kg (40-80 lbs.), and are less than 145 cm (4 feet, 9 inches)
tall. Drivers who fail to use booster seats or child car seats for young
passengers, or who use them incorrectly, face two demerit points plus a $110
fine.
"A properly used child car safety seat can cut the chances of death or
serious injury by as much as 75 per cent," said Valerie Lee, Executive
Director of the Infant and Toddler Safety Association. "Child car seats save
lives, and must be used - on every trip."
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to consult their vehicle owner's
manual and child car seat instruction manual when installing child restraints.
Parents can also contact their local public health unit, listed in the blue
pages of the telephone book, for information on upcoming child car seat
inspection clinics.
"Buckling up is a key part of staying safe in a vehicle," said Health
Promotion Minister Jim Watson. "Our seatbelt and child seat laws ensure that
Ontarians are able to lead healthy, productive lives."
"The success of Ontario's road safety efforts is the result of
commitments shared by many partners - police who hold seatbelt safety blitzes,
volunteers who conduct seatbelt surveys, and community groups that organize
child car safety seat clinics," said Cansfield. "Together, we are spreading
the message that seatbelts save lives."
Disponible en français
<<
www.mto.gov.on.ca
30-Year Anniversary of Seatbelt Laws in Ontario
The Facts
- Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to make seatbelt
usage mandatory in 1976. In 1982, it was one of the first provinces
in Canada to legally require the use of child car seats in motor
vehicles (MTO).
- Since 1989, increased use of seatbelts in Canada has resulted in an
estimated 6,200 lives saved, 120,000 injuries prevented and savings
of $9.6 billion in social and health care costs (Transport Canada,
August 6, 2003).
- Seatbelt use reduces the likelihood of deaths and injuries by
55 per cent (Child and Family Canada: Safe Kids Canada Child
Passenger Safety, 2000).
- For every one per cent increase in seatbelt use, five lives are saved
(Transport Canada).
- Results of hands-on inspections at child car seat clinics place
incorrect usage rates at approximately 80 per cent.
- A correctly used child safety seat can reduce the likelihood of death
or serious injury by as much as 75 per cent (Infant and Toddler
Safety Association).
- Driving convictions, including seatbelt infractions, can affect
insurance rates for individual drivers (MTO: Seatbelts and Child Car
Seats Save Lives, 2002).
According to the Ontario Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR) 2004:
- Approximately one-third of fatally injured drivers and passengers
were not wearing seatbelts.
- Overall, unbelted vehicle occupants involved in fatal or personal
injury collisions are nearly 24.2 times more likely to be killed and
nearly 9.3 times more likely to be hospitalized than belted drivers.
- Unbelted drivers involved in fatal or personal injury collisions are
nearly 34.1 times more likely to be killed and almost 10.1 times more
likely to be hospitalized than belted drivers.
- Unbelted passengers involved in fatal or personal injury collisions
are nearly 14.3 times more likely to be killed and almost 8.4 times
more likely to be hospitalized than belted passengers.
Who is wearing seatbelts?
- About 92.1 percent of Ontarians buckle up (Transport Canada 2004-2005
Survey, 2006).
- In rural communities, the rate of seatbelt usage is lower than in
urban communities. An estimated 87.9 per cent of Ontarians wear their
seatbelts in rural areas, whereas 92.6 per cent of Ontarians buckle
up in urban areas (Transport Canada 2004-2005 Survey).
- In Canada, a higher percentage of female drivers wear seatbelts
(93.9 per cent) than male drivers (89.8 per cent) (Transport Canada
2004-2005).
- In Canada, an estimated 87 per cent of those under 25 years of age
wear their seatbelts versus 91.8 per cent of those ages 25-49 and
92.1 per cent of those 50 years of age and over (Transport Canada
2004-2005 Survey, 2006).
- Front-seat occupants are more likely to wear their seatbelt. About
90.8 per cent of Canadians buckle up in the front seat, compared to
84.9 per cent in the back seat (Transport Canada 2004-2005 Survey).
Current Seatbelt Laws in Ontario
- The Highway Traffic Act (HTA) requires drivers and passengers
occupying positions for which a seatbelt assembly is provided to wear
seatbelts "in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner.
- All motor vehicle drivers are responsible for ensuring passengers
under 16 years of age are properly secured in a seatbelt or an
appropriate child car seat or booster seat.
- Regulations for children travelling in motor vehicles are as follows:
- Infants (under 9 kg or 20 lbs.) travel rear-facing in approved
child car seats.
- Toddlers (9 to 18 kg or 20 to 40 lbs.) travel forward-facing in
approved child car seats with all straps and harnesses securely
fastened.
- Children under the age of eight who weigh 18 kg or more but less
than 36 kg (40-80 lbs.), with a standing height of less than
145 cm (57 inches or 4 feet, 9 inches) travel in a booster seat
(effective Sept. 1, 2005).
- A child can start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the
following criteria are met:
- child turns eight years old
- child weighs 36 kg (80 lbs.)
- child is 145 cm (4 feet, 9 inches) tall
- Convictions for failure to use, or improper use of, a seatbelt or
child car seat or booster seat can result in a fine of $110 and two
demerit points.
Important Reminders
- Using a seatbelt is the single most effective way to reduce the
chance of injury or death in a motor vehicle collision.
- Air bags do not take the place of seatbelts. When air bags activate
during a motor vehicle collision, they reduce the forward movement of
the upper torso and minimize impact. They do not prevent drivers and
passengers from being thrown from the car.
- At all times, limit the number of occupants in your vehicle to the
number of seatbelts. Unbelted occupants can become projectiles during
a collision and can seriously injure themselves, other passengers or
the driver.
>>
Sources
Child and Family Canada. (2000). "Safe Kids Canada: Child Passenger
Safety." Retrieved from http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/skcan/00000020.htm
Ministry of Transportation. (September 1, 2005). "Seat Belts: Stay safe
and secure." Retrieved from
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/seatbelts.htm
Ministry of Transportation. (September 27, 2002). "Seat Belts and Child
Car Seats Save Lives." Retrieved from
http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2002/09/27/c5507.html?lmatch
(equal sign)%E2%8C%A9(equal sign)_e.html
Ministry of Transportation. "Ontario Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR)
2004."
Ministry of Transportation. (October 5, 2005). "Ontario Road Safety
Annual Report (ORSAR) 2003 Foreword" Retrieved from
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/orsar/orsar03/foreword.htm
Transport Canada. (August 6, 2003). Transport Minister Urges Canadians to
Buckle Up Their Seat Belts." Retrieved from
http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2003/03-h086e.htm
Transport Canada. (February 2006). "Transport Canada's Surveys of Seat
Belt Use in Canada 2004-2005." Retrieved from
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp2436/rs200601/pdf/rs200601es.pdf
-30-
For further information: Media Contacts: Neal Kelly, Minister's Office, (416) 327-9134; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158; Public Inquiries: (416) 235-4686 (GTA), 1-800-268-4686 toll free, 1-866-471-8929 TTY
Également disponible en français
Other news releases disseminated by this ministry
