With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming, Saskat-chewan RCMP will be stepping up the focus on seat belt use hoping everyone gets home safely for these family events.

Over the last four years, RCMP have devoted countless hours to education and enforcement to convince the public of the merits of seat belt use. In 2006, with the support of the Saskatchewan Government Insurance Corporation, the Seatbelt Roll-over Simulator was demonstrated in dozens of communities across Saskatchewan and police continue to do school presentations and other education events.

Unfortunately, the statistics clearly show the message is still not being heard by some. Unbelted or ejected occupants in a collision or rollover resulted in:

2002-45 fatalities and 108 serious injuries;
2003-46 fatalities and 121 serious injuries;
2004-44 fatalities and 94 serious injuries;
2005-41 fatalities and 88 serious injuries;
2006-29 fatalities to the end of August.
If the same number of people died in any other way in Saskatchewan such as a plane crash or West Nile disease, it would be front page news. However, since they are dying one or two at a time, there is little public outcry about traffic deaths and people continue to make the choice not to use seatbelts.

This year, “F” Division Traffic Services launched a campaign called “Thinking of Your Family…Buckle Up!!!” In other words, you may not care about yourself but perhaps you should consider the overwhelming grief and pain you may cause those you leave behind, be it a father, son, daughter, mother or grandpa and grandma if you die in a traffic crash.

“F” Division RCMP want to make sure when you have your family gatherings, there are no empty chairs. To that end, every member of the RCMP in Saskatchewan is committed to an intensive seatbelt enforcement campaign for the final three months of 2006. The campaign called “Click it or Ticket” will include numerous seatbelt enforcement initiatives all over the province. If you do not wear your seatbelt, you will be ticketed!!!

We would much rather you keep your hard earned money and spend it on gifts for your family and friends but we also want to make sure you are alive to give and receive those gifts.