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Get buckled in, every time you drive, RCMP remind

More than 9,000 tickets were handed out to Albertans for not wearing their seatbelts in 2019
seatbelt
Buckling up remains the simplest and most effective way to protect yourself and your passengers from injury, but more than 9,000 tickets were handed out to Alberta drivers and passengers in 2019 for not wearing a seatbelt.

WESTLOCK - For the most part it has become a ritual — when you get into a vehicle, you fasten yourself in with a seatbelt — but for others, it’s still a burden, or an afterthought.

It’s those people RCMP across the province are reminding that the use of a seatbelt by everyone in a vehicle is mandatory and can result in a $115 fine per violation.

Buckling up remains the simplest and most effective way to protect yourself and your passengers from injury in the event of a collision, say police, but still, more than 9,000 tickets were handed out to Alberta drivers and passengers in 2019 for not wearing a seatbelt.

“We remind Albertans that seatbelts are proven to save lives and minimize injuries. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility: buckle up, every single time, whether you’re driving to work or just around the block,” said Supt. Gary Graham of Alberta Traffic Services.

The technology has saved innumerable lives over the years, and while there are occasions when people will survive serious collisions without wearing a seatbelt, the evidence is clear that you and your passengers are more likely to survive a violent crash when using the device.

“There are always stats that show people are thrown out and still survive, but I’ve seen a lot of accidents where people would have survived if they had their seatbelt on and were not ejected from the vehicle,” said Westlock RCMP Staff Sgt. Al Baird.

Alberta’s mandatory seatbelt law came into effect in the summer of 1987, facing some resistance at first, but now, more than 30 years later, it has become a force of habit. That said, there were still 341 fatalities unbelted fatalities in the province between 2012 and 2016, according to numbers from Alberta Transportation.

“You still get some, and we still do the seatbelt checks,” said Baird.

“People just forget. They get in there and get distracted and start driving away and before they know it, they’re being pulled over.”

RCMP remind drivers that they are responsible for ensuring all passengers in the vehicle under the age of 16 are properly secured.

Proper usage includes making sure the seatbelt is positioned securely across the hip bones and the shoulder. The shoulder belt should sit across the centre of the chest, and never under the arm or behind your back. In a collision, this could cause fatal injuries.

Most children are ready for standard seatbelts when they are between eight and 12 years of age and are taller than four-foot-nine. Those under 13 are always safest in the back seat.

Some people will tuck the seatbelt under their arm or bring it across their lap without connecting it, but they’re not getting away with anything, said Baird.

“The seatbelt has to be worn properly. Sometimes people will say it’s uncomfortable, but most of them now have an adjustable strap … For the little bit of inconvenience that some people think it is, I think they would rather have a bruised chest rather than being carried away by six people,” he said.

“Most people are pretty good with it, but the rules are still on the books, so we do perform spot checks to make sure people are complying.”

Chris Zwick, TownandCountryToday.com

 

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