Provincial police say their hopes of a record low for seatbelt-related deaths have been diminished after five fatalities in one week.
In a news release on Friday, OPP detailed a rash of four fatal collisions that happened during one week of their Fall Seatbelt Campaign.
Officials say four of the five victims were ejected from their vehicles, including one incident where both the driver and passenger - neither wearing seatbelts - were expelled and killed.
“On one hand, we believe most people understand the important role that seatbelts play in saving lives. On the other hand, it is troubling to see others defend their choice to not wear one and still cast doubt on the proven impact seat belts have on saving people’s lives in collisions,” said OPP Chief Superintendent Chuck Cox in a statement.
Prior to the blitz, the OPP was anticipating a record 10-year low for seatbelt-related deaths on Ontario roadways and had seen only 32 seatbelt-related fatalities in 2014 - that number has now risen to 44.
The lowest number of seat belt-related deaths over the past ten years was 68 in 2009.
