Five decades after Ontario enacted seatbelt law, some still aren't buckling up
· Toronto Sun
It’s been half a century since Ontario made seatbelts mandatory for drivers and passengers, but nearly one in four road fatalities in the province still involve someone who was not buckled up.
The province estimates more than 9,000 lives have been saved since Ontario passed the mandatory seatbelt law for all seating positions – becoming the first province in Canada to do so – on Jan. 1, 1976.
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But despite provincial statistics that suggest a compliance rate of more than 92%, Ontario Provincial Police say their officers still investigate dozens of deaths linked to lack of seatbelt use each year.
“In 2025, the OPP responded to 41 road fatalities in which lack of seatbelt use was either the cause or a contributing factor,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a statement released Wednesday. “At any time, you can become involved in a collision caused by another driver.
“The single most important thing you can do to protect yourself during a crash is to ensure you and all other vehicle occupants are properly buckled in,” he added.
Seatbelt campaign for long weekend
To that end, OPP officers will be conducting a provincewide seatbelt campaign over the Easter long weekend.
The OPP says the campaign aims to ensure all vehicle occupants “make the right choice by buckling up,” which includes children being properly secured in the appropriate child car seat, booster seat or seatbelt for their weight, height and age.
Police are also encouraging people to “reinforce with their children and other family members the importance of making seatbelt use a life-long habit.”
“Too many lives are lost to something entirely preventable,” Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said. “Buckling up takes seconds, but it can mean the difference between making it home or not.”
“Seatbelts save lives – it is that simple,” he added.
The OPP laid 13,560 seatbelt charges in 2025.
The penalty for those caught not wearing a seatbelt includes a fine ranging between $200 and $1,000 and two demerit points that remain on your driving record for two years.
“This Easter weekend, and every day, help protect Ontario by buckling up and making sure every passenger is properly secured before every trip,” Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said.