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.”

Source: Ontario Ministry of Transportation