Orillia, Ontario – All 165 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments in the province will be participating in the annual spring seatbelt safety campaign, which began yesterday and runs through Sunday, April 27.

Last year, 117 people were killed on roads patrolled by the OPP as a result of not being buckled up, an increase of 14.7 per cent over 2006. So far, 22 people not wearing seatbelts have died on OPP-patrolled roads in 2008, seven fewer than during the same time in 2007.

“It takes less than five seconds to fasten your seatbelt,” said OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino. “That five seconds could be the difference between living and dying if you are involved in a serious collision. There is no excuse for not buckling up.”

The OPP will also be looking for improperly installed child restraints or young children not in car seats. Booster seats are mandatory for anyone transporting a child weighing between 40 and 80 pounds (18 and 36 kg), under 4-foot-9 (145 cm) tall and under the age of eight.