The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) reminds all residents that safe driving is your responsibility and there are many reasons to wear your seat belt when travelling in a motor vehicle.

Wearing your seat belt is not only the law – it saves lives.

Benefits of a Seat Belt

Seat belts hold you securely in place and help drivers control their car if involved in a crash.

Seat belts save approximately 1,000 lives in Canada every year. If you choose not to wear a seatbelt, you are increasing your likelihood of serious injury or death. 

A woman buckles her seat belt

Many people think they can protect themselves in a collision by bracing themselves against the dashboard or steering wheel. But even in a low-speed crash, a person not wearing a seat belt can hit the inside of their vehicle or other passengers in the vehicle with a force many times their bodyweight.

If you are not wearing your seat belt, you could be thrown:

  • Through a windshield or door
  • Into trees, telephone poles, and/or rocks
  • Run over by your own or someone else's car