Wednesday marks the begining of the OPP annual seatbelt campaign which runs through until April 23rd.
It also marks the 35th anniversary of when the seat belt laws came into effect in Ontario back in 1976.
During that time, the OPP will be stepping up enforcement throughout the province to ensure that motorists and passengers buckle up.
OPP Constable Peter Leon says using a seat belt is the single most effective way to reduce the chance of injury or death in a motor vehicle collision.
However he says countless fatalities and injuries relating to seat belt use have continued to occur needlessly each year over the past 35 years.
Leon says last year on OPP patrolled roadways, 89 people lost their lives in collisions in which lack of seatbelt use was a factor and 4,200 people were injured for the same reason.
So far this year , 7 people have died in collisions in which lack of seatbelt use was a factor.
Leon says many studies have shown that in the event of a rollover collision, if you are not buckled in the chances are good that you will be thrown out of the vehicle and probably severely injured or even killed.
