Police running their spring seatbelt campaign

Do you tend not to bother putting on you seatbelts when you get into the car?

York Regional Police will be looking for you over the next couple of weeks.

Running until April 30, police will be participating in the Provincial Spring Seatbelt Campaign.

York officers will be conducting enforcement and seatbelt spot-checks in targeted areas throughout the region. Failure to comply with proper use of seatbelts can result in a fine of $110 and two demerit points.

This year to date in York, three people have died in collisions where improper or non-use of a seatbelt was a contributing factor, police report. Last year, four people died and three people were seriously injured in similar circumstances.

Seatbelt monitoring studies conducted in 2006 by the Region of York show that 88 per cent of drivers and 89 per cent of passengers comply with seatbelt legislation.

Last fall, the percentage of seatbelt compliance by drivers according to municipality indicated King residents were tops in York when it came to buckling up, with an 88 per cent compliance rate.

The objective of this year's campaign is to achieve 100 per cent seatbelt compliance in York, as well as the rest of Ontario. In particular, the campaign will emphasize the new seatbelt law, "one person - one seatbelt," that allows only the number of people in a car as exists the number of available seatbelts.

York police encourage drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelt properly at all times. Drivers are reminded that they are responsible for all passengers in their vehicle who are under the age of 16.

Information on child booster seats and car seat clinics can be found by visiting the "Child and Family Health" page on the Region of York Web site at www.york.ca