TORONTO, April 16 /CNW/ - The Ontario government is aiming to get more drivers and passengers buckled up with the launch of its provincewide Spring Seat Belt Campaign from April 16-24, Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar
and Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter announced today.
"Safe and strong communities are a priority we share with the people of Ontario," said Takhar. "And I can't stress enough how important it is for everyone in a vehicle to be properly secured, especially since motor vehicle
collisions are the leading cause of injury and death among children and youth."
This year's spring seat belt campaign officially kicks off with "Love Me Buckle Me Right" day, during which community groups across the province are expected to hold approximately 50 child car seat inspection clinics promoting
the proper installation and use of child car seats and booster seats. Child car seat clinics held across Ontario demonstrate that as many as four out of five child seats are installed or used incorrectly.
"No one should ever drive without buckling up first," Kwinter said. "In 2002, one in every three drivers killed on Ontario roads weren't wearing seatbelts. It only takes a few seconds to buckle up properly and is an effective way of reducing serious injuries and deaths. We all owe it to our families to use seatbelts."
"Seat belts save lives. It is our priority to make sure adults and children are properly buckled up," said Maurice Pilon, Deputy Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). "The OPP participates in a number of provincial and local enforcement initiatives which will help make Ontario's
roads the safest in the world."
"Ontario has the safest roads in Canada, second only to Massachusetts in North America," Takhar said. "By protecting children and youth on our roads,the Ontario government is building safe and strong communities and providing a quality of life that is second to none."


BACKGROUNDER
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April 16, 2004

SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

In 1976, Ontario was the first province to make seat belts mandatory. Six years later, it implemented legislation to require the use of child car seats.
Since 1993, spring and fall seat belt campaigns have taken place across Ontario to encourage drivers and all passengers to buckle up and save lives.
Ontario has the safest roads in Canada, second only to Massachusetts in North America. Seat Belt Campaigns are part of the Ontario government's plan to further improve road safety and build safe and strong communities for our
families.

Seat Belt Campaigns Supported by Communities and Businesses

The invaluable contribution of MTO's safety partners has helped to increase public awareness of road user safety throughout Ontario. MTO partners with the police, community groups, safety organizations and the private sector to continuously improve road user safety. Seat belt campaigns are no exception. They include enhanced seat belt enforcement by the police and safety programs delivered by public health professionals and safety advocates across the province - all aimed at increasing seat belt compliance in the province to 100 per cent.
Community groups will conduct approximately 50 child car seat inspection clinics promoting the proper installation and use of child car seats and booster seats across the province.
The Ontario government strongly encourages the use of booster seats for children who are too big for child car seats but still too small to benefit fully from the protection that seat belts provide for adult passengers.
To promote the proper installation and use of booster seats, MTO has partnered with the Co-Operators General Insurance and the Infant and Toddler Safety Association (ITSA) to produce an instructional video and guidebook,
"Boost Me Up." The video and guide will be distributed to Public Health and Education agencies across Ontario.

Facts and Figures

- Surveys by Transport Canada show Ontario's rate of seat belt use is
more than 92 per cent in urban communities and 85 per cent in rural
areas, but it is estimated that more than one million people in
Ontario do not wear seat belts on a regular basis. Transport Canada also estimates that for every one per cent increase in seat belt use in Ontario, five lives are saved.

- The 2002 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report indicates that approximately one-third of fatally injured vehicle occupants (both drivers and passengers) were not buckled up.

- Health care costs are between one-and-a-half and two times as high fo individuals not wearing seat belts as they are for belted drivers and passengers involved in collisions.

- Child car seat clinics across the province have shown that as many as four out of five child car seats are incorrectly installed or used.

- According to the Infant and Toddler Safety Association (ITSA), a correctly used child car seat reduces the likelihood of a child being injured or killed in a motor vehicle collision by 75 per cent.

- Drivers are legally responsible for making sure that passengers under the age of 16 are properly buckled up.

- During the 2003 Fall Seat Belt Campaign, the Ontario Provincial Police checked 580,822 vehicles and laid 12,976 charges for seat belt and child car seat violations.

- Driving convictions, including seat belt infractions, can raise insurance rates for individual drivers. A seat belt or child car seat offence carries a $90 fine (plus a $20 victim surcharge) and two demerit points.

- Transport Canada indicates more than 7,700 lives were saved nationally by seat belt use between 1990 and 1995.

Ontario continues to be a leader in road safety. By protecting all motorists travelling on our highways, the McGuinty government is building safe and strong communities that offer our families a quality of life second to none.

(x) Based on the latest fatality rate per 10,000 licensed drivers.

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