The OPP keeps close watch on its collision and enforcement data as it serves as an important yardstick for assessing how the OPP is doing with its combined traffic enforcement and education initiatives, as well as how motorists are doing with traffic law compliance.
Looking at ten years of collision data (2005-2014), over 100 people died each year from 2005 to 2007 in collisions where lack of seatbelt compliance was a contributing factor.
The number has stayed below the one hundred mark since then.
When looking at more recent data, a total of 73 people died in collisions due to non-compliance with seat belt laws last year - the year that saw the second lowest fatality rate over the past 10 years (the lowest number of fatalities was 68 in 2009).
This year’s seat belt-related fatalities currently sit at 32 as of September 21.
“With just over three months to go in the year, we are cautiously optimistic and hopeful about reaching a 10-year low in seat-belt related road deaths, but we do not want the public to take away the wrong message from this promising data. Until people reach 100 per cent compliance with seat belt laws, sadly more victims of all ages will succumb to injuries sustained because they were either not wearing a seat belt or were not properly restrained in the vehicle,” says OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair.
Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury.
Since seat belts were made mandatory, the number of people killed and injured in collisions in Ontario has steadily dropped.
