Submitted by Masset RCMP-Each day in BC, we experience over 725 motor vehicle crashes, and 166 of us are injured. Many of those injuries could be prevented or made less serious if occupants were wearing seat belts. That's why police across the province will be stopping vehicles to check for proper seat belt and child seat use until Sunday October 5.
The provincial seat belt campaign focuses on increasing public awareness about seat belt usage, and precedes a national enforcement blitz from October 10 to 13 focusing on high risk drivers, including those not buckled up.
Research clearly demonstrates that the eight to ten percent of drivers not wearing seat belts are among the highest at-risk drivers on the road - they've been described as "high risk seekers," consuming more drugs and alcohol, accumulating more tickets and having more collisions. Non-use of seat belts and excessive speed are often cited as contributing factors in alcohol-related fatalities.
Your local police urge you to wear your seat belt, because the bottom line is that seat belts save lives. Don't take any chances getting stopped by the police-but it's better to be stopped by the police than to be stopped by your windshield.