What Is Ontario S Seatbelt Law? 3

INTRODUCTION 1

1: Did You KNow?

The Collision 2

Ontario Seatbelt Facts 3

What is Ontario’s Seatbelt Law? 3

What is the Law for Child Car Seats? 4

What is the Law for Booster Seats? 4

When is a Child Ready for a Seatbelt? 5

2: ideas

Suggested Activities6

Materials and Resources9

3: contacts

MTO Regional Marketing Planners10

4: forms & registration

Registration Form 11

Letter of Agreement13

Final Report Form15

2016 seatbelt campaign

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

Introduction

t

he Seatbelt Campaign continues to raise public awareness about the importance of wearing seatbelts, and educate drivers on the proper use of child car seats and booster seats.

This year, 2016, is the 40th anniversary of Ontario’s seatbelt law. This year’s campaign runs from September 28 to October 7. It will focus primarily on child booster seats. Whether it is a seat belt or a child car seat, on urban streets or rural roads, everyone must be buckled up.

The Ministry of Transportation co-ordinates the campaign to support community groups and road safety partners in planning and delivering awareness activities in their areas. Police enforcement will also contribute towards the campaign’s success.

Ontario's fatality rate has fallen 85% since 1976[1], when seat belts became mandatory, due in part to advances in seatbelt technology and the mandatory use of child car seats.

Even though a Transport Canada survey shows Ontario has a 96 per cent seatbelt usage rate, about one in every six vehicle occupants killed on Ontario’s roads were unbelted[2].

In 1976, Ontario was the first province to require all drivers and passengers to wear a seatbelt. Since then the law has been bolstered with increased fines for seatbelt, child car seat, and booster seat violations; a requirement that every vehicle occupant be buckled up - one person, one seatbelt; and the use of an appropriate booster or child car seat became mandatory for anyone transporting children in a motor vehicle.

Since Ontario's seatbelt law first came into effect, the number of people killed and injured in motor vehicle collisions has steadily dropped and it is estimated that seatbelt use has saved over 9,000 lives[3]. In 2013, 72 vehicle occupants were killed while not wearing an available seat belt – down from 83 in 2012[4]. This guide provides information on the campaign themes and ideas to help you promote them in your community.

Did you know?

1

Did You Know…

Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of injury-related death in Ontario.

During a collision, properly fastened seatbelts help to distribute the collision forces over larger and stronger parts of the person's body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders. The seatbelt stretches slightly to slow your body down and to increase its stopping distance. Using seatbelts is the single most effective way to reduce collision related injuries and fatalities.

To understand the value of seatbelt use, it's important to know some of the dynamics of a collision. Every motor vehicle collision is composed of three types of impact:

1. Vehicle collision: on impact, the vehicle begins to slow down and its exterior begins to crush.

1. Human collision: this occurs as the vehicle occupants contact some part of the vehicle’s interior. At the moment of impact, unbelted occupants and all loose items within the vehicle are still travelling at the vehicle's pre-collision speed and continue to move towards the point of impact. Another form of human collision is “person-to-person impact”. Unbelted occupants colliding with each other can cause serious injuries.

1. Internal collision: the occupant’s internal organs, including the brain, continue to move within the body until they hit the skeletal structure.

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What is Ontario’s Seatbelt Law?

In Ontario, every occupant travelling in a motor vehicle is required to be buckled up properly.

Drivers are responsible for ensuring passengers under the age of 16 are properly secured in a seatbelt, child car seat or booster seat, based on their height, weight and age. Passengers who appear to be at least 16 years of age are required to provide their name, address and date of birth to a police officer upon request.

Only one person can use a seatbelt at one time. There must be a seatbelt or child car seat for each person in the vehicle. Never carry more people in the vehicle than there are seatbelts. It is illegal for two people to be buckled up using the same seatbelt.

Fines and Penalties

• Drivers and passengers 16 years of age and older convicted of failing to use or improperly using a seatbelt are subject to a $240 fine.
• Drivers would also have two demerit points applied to their driver record if convicted for failing to use, or improperly using, a seatbelt or failing to ensure a passenger under the age of 16 is properly secured.

To review Ontario’s seatbelt exemptions, visit ontario.ca/transportation

Ontario’s seatbelt law saves lives.

What is the law for child car seats and booster seats?

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It is the law for drivers transporting children under the age of 16 in a motor vehicle to ensure they are properly secured in a child car seat, booster seat or seatbelt.

In Canada, motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of injury-related deaths for children of all ages (twelve years and under)[5].

Most of these deaths could have been prevented if the child had been secured properly. For example, a Canadian National Survey on child restraint use found that 91% of the sample population used some form of child restraint system in a moving vehicle; however, the lowest rates of correct use of a child safety seat was identified for children ages four to eight. Only 40% of these children were properly secured in a booster or child car seat. Furthermore, in Ontario, it was found that 64% of children in this age group were using seatbelts and only 25% of these children were properly secured in a booster or child car seat[6].

Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4–8 years when compared with seat belt use alone [7].

Booster seats are required for children who have outgrown a child car seat but are too small for a regular seatbelt. A lap and shoulder combination belt must be used for all booster seats.

A booster seat raises the child so the lap and shoulder belts are properly positioned across their body. The lap portion must cross low on the hips and the shoulder portion must cross the middle of the child’s chest and across the shoulder.

Parents and caregivers must follow the manufacturer’s weight and height requirements for child car seats and booster seats. It’s best to keep the child in a car seat or booster seat as long as possible, until they reach the weight or height limits.

Ready for a Seatbelt?

When a child can sit against the back of the vehicle seat with their legs bent comfortably over the edge and can sit upright for the entire trip, they are probably ready to use a seatbelt.

The law in Ontario allows a child to start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the following criteria is met:

• child turns eight years old
• child weighs 36 kg (80 lbs.)
• child is 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall

ideas

2

How You Can Promote the Campaign

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

Here are a few ideas to help get you started on developing a successful seatbelt campaign. These suggestions are meant to be a guide; be as creative - and strategic - as you can be. If you have any more ideas to add, please let us know.

Your Regional Marketing Planner can provide you with information to help you plan and implement your activities, and direct you to available campaign materials to support your initiatives.

If funding is required to support campaign activities, participants can apply to receive one-time funding of $500 by completing the application package [see “Forms and Registration” on page 9].

Suggested Activities

Visual displays: Provide visual displays for students during enforcement periods; such as a crashed car at various venues, displays at malls, movie theatres, trade shows and/or events. The display could say “Make a fashion statement. Wear a seatbelt.” This type of display could include a life-size cut out of a teen wearing a seatbelt and include buckle up messages.

Message Boards or Marquees: Display buckle up messaging on outside message boards or marquees on school campuses. Advertise the enforcement period.

School Websites: Post articles on high school, college and university website homepages to spread the message regarding the enforcement periods.

Social Networking Opportunities: Promote child car seat best practices and seatbelt laws on your social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Run a seatbelt count: Tally seatbelt use at a key location, watching for any vehicles appearing to carry more occupants than seatbelts. Report seatbelt compliance results to the local media or post on your website.

Conduct a booster seat count: Children in primary/junior years can observe and record the use of booster seats for children in other cars.

Involve the booster seat aged children in staying safe: The child can be part of making sure they are buckled in properly by doing a “self-check” where they can check to make sure the seatbelt is snug and lies across their hips and their shoulder.

Organize a poster contest: Copies of the winning poster can be displayed at public or neighbourhood libraries, community centres, shopping centres or public health units.

Write an article for local media: Create an article for distribution to local print media, focusing on the seatbelt, child car seat and booster seat laws.

Join local events: Festivals, special events or fairs provide a venue to create displays or distribute educational materials promoting seatbelt use.

Hold a seatbelt trivia game show: Use background information on seatbelts to create the questions and material for a game show. Acknowledge winners with a school announcement or prizes.

Conduct a Seatbelt Deputy Program: This program is geared toward elementary school students. Students are encouraged to be responsible for ensuring that everyone in a vehicle is buckled up correctly. Details on the program are available through your Regional Marketing Planner.

Hold a Quick Click Challenge: Teams of secondary school students compete against one another to see who can record the fastest time in this event to promote seatbelt use. Teams of five students must move through each seating positions within the vehicle, putting on and taking off their seatbelt. Participants move to the next seating position only after every team member is buckled up. The team that returns to their original seating position in the fastest time wins!

Materials and Resources

FREE campaign materials can be ordered directly from ServiceOntario.

You may also wish to contact the MTO Regional Marketing Planner in your area. Check the list on the following page. When ordering any of these products, be sure to include the product number assigned to the publication.

Campaign materials include:

Ministry of Transportation child car seat publications/order numbers:

 “Child Car Seats Quick Facts” Bilingual - #018180

 “Safe and Secure” Bilingual - #007047

The above publications can be ordered through ServiceOntario:

Online at

By phone: Monday to Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

416.326.5300 or toll-free 1.800.668.9938

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation provides three online videos, (featuring each stage of a child’s development) on its website to assist parents and caregivers to properly install and use their child car seat and booster seat.

Child car seat installation videos can be viewed at:

www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/carseat/choose.shtml

or

www.mto.gov.on.ca/french/safety/carseat/choose.shtml

contacts

3

MTO Regional Marketing Planners

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

Northwestern Region

Tom Marinis

Ministry of Transportation

615 South James Street

Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6P6

 (807) 473 2198

Fax: (807) 473-2133

Northern Region

Todd Fullerton

Ministry of Transportation

447 McKeown Ave., Suite 301

North Bay, ON PIB 9S9

 (705) 497 5453

Fax: (705) 497-6886

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

Central Region South

Lisa Thompson

Ministry of Transportation

87 Sir William Hearst Avenue.

Room # 212

Toronto, ON M3M 0B4

 (416) 235-5364

Fax: (416) 235-5129

Central Region North

Ministry of Transportation

87 Sir William Hearst Avenue.

Room # 212

Toronto, ON M3M 0B4

 (416) 235-3658

Fax: (416) 235-5129

1

2016 seatbelt campaign

Eastern Region

Melanie Trottier

Ministry of Transportation

1355 John Counter Boulevard

Kingston, ON K7L 5A3

 (613) 545 4608

Fax: (613) 545-4632

Southwest Region

Sean Wraight

Ministry of Transportation

659 Exeter Road

London, ON N6E 1L3

 (519) 873-4420

Fax: (519) 873-4332

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forms

4

1

Forms & Registration

To participate in this year’s seatbelt campaign, simply register your activities by submitting the Application Form to your Regional Marketing Planner. With registration, you can publicize your plans, find participants or partners for collaboration, and be counted as a 2016 campaign participant!

Looking for funding? To apply for one-time funding support of $500 for your campaign activities:

 Send a completed Registration Form and Letter of Agreement to your Regional Marketing Planner by Friday, September 9, 2016. The application package forms are included in this Guide.

 Take pictures, save news clippings, keep track of expenses and submit the Final Report Form to your Regional Marketing Planner by Friday, December 2, 2016.

Application Form – 2016 Seatbelt Campaign

| PLEASE PRINT |

Name of non-profit organization (must be a legal entity):

Options (Check one)

1. Participate and apply for $500 funding towards activities.

1. Participate without funding.

Name of individual (if the organization is not a legal entity) applying for funding and responsible to ensure the project is carried out:

Regional Planner:

Municipality:

How long has the committee/community group been in existence?

Total number of members:

Contact Name:

Address:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Please provide a brief outline of your proposed activities:

Cheque Information (if applicable)

Cheque payable to:

 Letter of Agreement

This Letter of Agreement is in response to the recipient’s application for funding under the 2016 Seatbelt Campaign to assist the recipient in carrying out the activities described on the registration form the Ministry of Transportation received from the recipient.

Funding from the Ministry of Transportation to the recipient under the 2016 Seatbelt Campaign will be provided in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in this Letter of Agreement.

Subject to approval of your application by the Ministry of Transportation, this confirms that (name) will receive $500 in funding to assist with its campaign activities as a participant of the 2016 Seatbelt Campaign.

Terms and Conditions

A recipient receiving 2016 Seatbelt Campaign funds must keep and maintain for a period of seven years, separate records and documentation, including invoices and other financially related documents, relating to the funds. The records and documentation must be kept and maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Records containing confidential information must be kept and maintained in accordance with all applicable legislation.

The Ministry and its authorized representatives or an independent auditor identified by the Province may, at its sole discretion, inspect, audit, or investigate any records and/or documentation of a recipient receiving 2016 Seatbelt Campaign funds, including financial records, related to the

Seatbelt Campaign activities. The recipient will be expected to provide the Ministry, its authorized representatives and auditor with any information, including the form for providing it, reasonably requested by these individuals.

A recipient will be responsible for its own insurance and should carry all the necessary and appropriate insurance. The recipient will not be covered by the Province of Ontario’s insurance program and no protection will be afforded to the recipient by the Government of Ontario for any claims that may arise out of 2016 Seatbelt Campaign activities and related agreement.

The funds must be used solely for the purposes of promoting the 2016 Seatbelt Campaign. Funding cannot be used for salaries, wages and honouraria, capital expenditure, academic research, law enforcement, prizes, refreshments or travel outside Ontario.

All organizations must submit a Final Report together with a financial statement that indicates source and application of funds to their Regional Marketing Planner no later than December 2, 2016.

If you are in agreement with all terms and conditions listed in the Letter of Agreement, please sign it and return it along with your application.

Name of Authorized Signing Officer for the organization, or individual applying for funding and ensuring, if approved, the project is carried out:

Please Print Name: ______

Title: ______

Name of non-profit community organization: ______

______

Signature Date

2016 Seatbelt Campaign

Final Report Form

*Please submit by December 2, 2016

Name of Non-Profit Community Organization:

______

Was this the first time your group participated in the Seatbelt Campaign?

Yes No

Would you participate again? Yes No

What activities did your group organize during the Seatbelt Campaign?

How did your group use the $500 for the initiative?

Approximately how many people were exposed to your road safety message?

Describe all displays, materials etc. that were used for your activity. Please include photos if available.

Describe all evaluation methods you used to measure the success of your campaign.

Did you have any media coverage? Yes No

If yes, please include copies of the coverage. ______

Did you use this package to plan your campaign events?Yes No

What could the Ministry of Transportation do to help with the success of your campaign events?

Name of Authorized Signing Officer for the non-profit legal entity, or the individual who applied for funding and was responsible to ensure the project was carried out:

Please Print Name ______

Title: ______

______

Authorized Signature Date

THANK YOU! We value your feedback.