Police laid fewer seatbelt charges than last year, but the issue is still causing deaths—so enforcement isn’t letting up.
Police across the OPP West Region issued hundreds of charges over the Easter long weekend as part of a targeted traffic safety campaign.
Officers from the region’s 13 detachments laid 168 seatbelt-related charges during the annual education and enforcement initiative, which ran from April 3rd to April 6th, 2026. That figure is notably lower than 2025, when a five-year high of 338 seatbelt charges was recorded during the same campaign.
Additional details, including breakdowns by detachment and statistics on impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding, are included in a supplementary report released alongside the campaign results.
Police say failing to wear a seatbelt continues to be a significant factor in fatal collisions. Last year, 41 people died in crashes on roads patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police where seatbelt use was either absent or contributed to the outcome. Of those, 14 fatalities occurred in the West Region. In 2026 so far, four deaths in the region have been linked to not wearing a seatbelt.
Authorities emphasize that not wearing a seatbelt—along with aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving, and fatigue—remains one of the leading causes of serious collisions, injuries, and property damage on Ontario’s roads.
The OPP says enforcement efforts will continue in an effort to prevent avoidable deaths and keep drivers safe across Southwestern Ontario and beyond.
