Seatbelt blitz underway

“Buckle up!”
That the message the OPP is sending to Rainy River District residents as it kicks off its 2007 spring seatbelt campaign this week.
Starting Monday and running until April 30, OPP officers will be highly visible across Rainy River District targeting drivers and passengers who choose not to wear their seatbelts.
Seatbelt legislation has been in effect for the past 30 years. And as of Dec. 1, 2006, it has been mandatory for every person in a motor vehicle to occupy a seating position with a seatbelt available.
During the campaign, officers also will be checking to see that child car seats are being properly used.
A properly-used child seat reduces the risk of injury in a motor vehicle collision by 75 percent, yet as many as 80 percent of child car seats are incorrectly used.
A conviction for a seatbelt or child restraint offence could result in a fine of $110 and two demerit points.
OPP Insp. Dave Lucas said yesterday that one of the Fort Frances detachment’s operational priorities is traffic safety.
“We recently conducted an analysis of our motor vehicle collisions for 2006 and found that our motor vehicle collisions involving injury occurred on Highway 11 throughout the district of Rainy River,” he noted.
This past February, OPP auxiliary officers and cadets completed seatbelt surveys along Highway 11 at or near the communities of Atikokan, Fort Frances, Emo, and Rainy River.
The following compliance rates were observed:
•Atikokan (junction 11/11B)—87 percent;
•Fort Frances (King’s Highway)—79.5 percent;
•Emo—92 percent; and
•Rainy River—93 percent.
These equalled an overall compliance rate of 87.8 percent—slightly below the national average.
According to a survey conducted by Transport Canada in 2004-05, the Canadian average seatbelt compliance rate for urban areas is 92.6 percent while in rural areas it is 87.9 percent.
Last year, of the 444 fatal motor vehicle collisions in the province investigated by the OPP, 111 were not buckled up.
“Enforcement, along with public education initiatives, are activities that have the direct outcome of saving lives,” said Insp. Lucas. “There can be no higher priority for the OPP than saving lives.”
Insp. Lucas noted that in addition to the spring seatbelt campaign, the local OPP will be embarking on a plan of public education initiatives and daily seatbelt enforcement throughout the district.