Transportation and Public Works Minister Don MacKinnon and Attorney General Jeff Lantz today joined with Island police chiefs in launching April as Seat Belt Public Awareness Month on Prince Edward Island and announcing new measures to increase the use of seat belts on Prince Edward Island, including stepped up public education and enforcement measures.
"Enhancing public safety on Island roads is one of the main goals of my department and during Seat Belt Awareness Month we hope to convey the message that buckling up is not only the law but also is a smart safety choice for the health of Island families," said Minister MacKinnon in announcing the new measures. "Compliance among Islanders is still below the national average, and statistics show that 43 percent of vehicle fatalities on Prince Edward Island are attributable to a lack of or improper seat belt usage," MacKinnon noted.
Beginning in April, all law enforcement agencies in the province will be stepping up enforcement of seat belt violations as well as increasing public education efforts on the health and safety benefits of proper seat belt usage to the travelling public. Vehicle operators must also be sure of the proper use of seat belts by all occupants of the vehicle.
"Public safety issues like seat belt use cross jurisdictional lines. They're everyone's problem, and police forces across the province will be out there on Island roads to make sure that the law is enforced and that the travelling public understands the importance of proper seat belt usage," said Paul Cousins, from the PEI Police Chiefs Association.
Prince Edward Island has had a generally good level of seat belt usage among its motorists in the past decade. Usage rates have ranged from 76.9 percent in 1992 to a usage rate of 85.7 percent in 2000, compared to the national average of 90.1 percent.
"A stepped up enforcement and education program and a strong partnership among Island law enforcement agencies across the province will help us move toward our goal of increased safety on Island roads and increased compliance with the law," said Attorney General Lantz.