DISTRICT (Special) — The Temiskaming Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it will be on patrol this Easter Long Weekend for the Seatbelt Campaign that will be running April 2 to April 5.

The OPP says it continues to educate the public on the importance of wearing a seatbelt, following the speed limit, not driving distracted, and adjusting your driving according to weather and road conditions.

Road fatalities that are related to the lack of an occupant restraint are highly preventable so even one death in this category of causal factors is one too many, police say.

A properly worn seatbelt greatly increases your chances of surviving a motor vehicle collision.

If one person decides not to wear a seatbelt, yourself and others in the vehicle are also at risk of serious injury, police say. A seatbelt keeps you inside the vehicle during a collision and without a seatbelt, passengers become high-speed projectiles.

The OPP added that a driver/passenger can be charged and face a fine between $200 to $1,000 and demerit points for seatbelt infractions. Drivers are legally responsible for ensuring that passengers under the age of 16 are buckled up in a seatbelt, or an appropriate child car seat or booster.