By Lizz Bottrell
Citizen Staff

During 2007, 61 people died in a motor vehicle accident due to the fact they neglected to wear a seat belt. Statistics show approximately 18 fatalities in rural Saskatchewan every year during the spring months of April, May, and June.

That’s why Saskatchewan RCMP launched their “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign for the third consecutive year. All uniformed officers agreed to step up their seat belt checks to help ensure 100 percent of Saskatchewan motorist develop the habit of wearing a seatbelt 100 percent of the time.

Transport Canada states that in 2006, the rural seat belt wear rate for Saskatchewan was 83.8 percent. The RCMP and SGI hope the “Click it or Ticket” campaign will increase that number to 100 percent.

The Kipling RCMP detachment does not have any plans of a blitz as of yet, but they are committed to continuing with their regular patrolling, keeping an eye out for those without a seat belt. “There’s nothing planned as far as certain days [for checks],” said Constable Brent Myrol, of the Kipling Detachment. “We spend a fair amount of time patrolling the area already.”

Myrol’s biggest concern stems from people’s lack of awareness that a seatbelt needs to be worn in town as well as on the highway. “They just think they need to wear them on the highway. That’s false. They need to wear them in town too,” said Constable Myrol.

The campaign, which runs from April 1 - June 30, will help put an end to the needless deaths resulting in not wearing a seatbelt. According to a press release from the RCMP, “An occupant has a 91 percent change of surviving a single vehicle rollover with minor to moderate injuries when wearing a seat belt, compared to a 70 percent chance if they are not wearing a seat belt.”

For those who chose not to wear a seat belt, the fine is a hefty one, $165. If there is a person under the age of 16 in the vehicle failing to wear a seatbelt, RCMP say the driver will be ticketed for that person.

So always make sure to wear your seatbelt as well as ensuring all passengers in the vehicle wear their seatbelt. Besides, a person could consider themselves lucky to just get a ticket, at least he or she still has their life.