Saskatchewan police looking out for unbuckled drivers this month

Police across Saskatchewan will be keeping a special eye out for people unbuckled in cars this month: It’s the traffic spotlight in partnership with SGI.

Tyler McMurchy, manager of media relations with SGI, said seatbelts have been the law in Saskatchewan since July of 1977 but police still have problems with people not wearing them.

Last year, during the monthly safety spotlights, McMurchy said officers gave out more than 5,200 tickets for seatbelt offences.

“These are the people who have been caught, of course, and there are people who presumably weren’t caught,” McMurchy said.

More concerning than those who are getting tickets, according to McMurchy, are those who die as a result of not wearing a seatbelt. He said nearly one-third of vehicle occupants who died in crashes weren’t buckled up.

“When you consider that approximately 95 per cent of people wear their seatbelts regularly, that shows that the number of people who don’t are highly overrepresented in our fatality statistics,” said McMurchy.

When police stop someone, they’ll ask why the person didn’t buckle up. Sgt. Dallyn Holmstrom, detachment commander of the Carlyle RCMP, says he has heard every excuse in the book.

Holmstrom shared a list, with SGI providing the responses.

10. “I’m driving a bigger vehicle that will protect me in case of a crash.” — If your jacked-up truck hits a tree, a ditch, or even a cute little Fiat going the opposite direction, you’re still going to wish you wore a seatbelt.

9. “Seatbelts cause injuries during crashes.” — Think about it: If you’re in a severe enough collision that a properly worn seatbelt bruises you, the injuries that you would have suffered if you weren’t wearing it would have been worse. A lot worse.

8. “I don’t want to get stuck inside the car during a crash.” — You don’t want to be ejected. Trust us on this one. You’re two to three times more likely to die if you’re ejected from your vehicle. The body of your vehicle is meant to absorb the energy of an impact and keep the passenger compartment intact, but you need to buckle up for that to keep you safe. Not wearing your seatbelt does increase the chance you’ll be knocked unconscious or physically incapacitated in a crash, and unable to free yourself.

7. “I want to be able to exit the car quickly.” — Not wearing a seatbelt in a collision means that you will exit the vehicle quickly. Unfortunately, it could be through the windshield … face-first.

6. “I’m not travelling very far or very fast.” — A collision can happen close to home. And you don’t have to be travelling at highway speeds for a crash to severely injure you. Coming to a sudden stop at 50 km/h turns a 70-kilogram person into a 1,400kg projectile. Even if you work out, you’re not strong enough to brace yourself for that impact.

5. “I’m too big to wear a seat belt.” — If you fit into a vehicle, you can wear a seatbelt.

4. “I forget to buckle up sometimes.” — That’s weird, since your vehicle almost certainly has some sort of buzz or ding to remind you to put it on.

3. “Seat belts are uncomfortable.” — Here’s what’s super uncomfortable: Slamming chest-first into a steering column, being partially ejected as your vehicle rolls on top of you, or even just being tossed around your vehicle like the last peanut in a can. If you don’t like wearing a seatbelt, you’re really not going to like being strapped onto a stretcher.

2. “Wearing a seat belt makes me feel restrained.”  — That’s the point. You’re restrained. When a vehicle comes to a sudden stop, being restrained means your soft body won’t keep moving until it hits something solid and unforgiving. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

1. “I’m a careful driver. I don’t need a seat belt.” — Even if that were true, being the world’s best driver doesn’t guarantee you’ll never be in a collision. You’re not the only one on the road. There are other vehicles (some driven by drivers who may be less careful than you). There’s wildlife. There’s icy patches and road hazards. Good drivers get in collisions, too.

If the danger of not wearing a seatbelt doesn’t deter people, then the ticket might — it’s $175 and three points off the driver’s licence for them and every person in the vehicle under 16 years of age who isn’t wearing a seatbelt. Those 16 and older will get their own ticket.