Not wearing a seatbelt is the leading cause of death in the fatal motor vehicle crashes recorded so far this year across Essex County, according to police. Essex County Ontario Provincial Police have recorded five fatal motor vehicle collisions as of the end of August, with not wearing a seatbelt being listed as the primary factor in three of the cases. Speeding was listed as the cause in one case, while speeding/distracted driving was listed as the cause in the other. Essex County OPP Inspector Jamie Smith says seatbelt laws have been around a long time, but they still have to keep reminding people to wear them. “I equate it to hopping on a rollercoaster and that bar coming down on your leg. I don’t feel comfortable when I get in my vehicle if my seatbelt is not on,” he says. “Also, you’ve got the chimes that come in that will indicate you need to put your seatbelt on. There are a lot of factors in there that people should be wearing them. The fatal figure comes as there has been an increase in seatbelt infractions as well. In August, OPP officers across Essex County laid 28 charges, a 64.7 per cent increase over the 17 laid in August 2025. Between January 1 and the end of August, officers have laid 186 seatbelt charges, a 67.6 per cent spike compared to the 111 laid during the same time frame in 2025. Smith says they are working to enforce seatbelt infractions because the restraint is there to help prevent serious injury or death. He says there’s one thing he thinks of when he hears about a fatal crash where no seatbelts were being worn. “That it was preventable. I’ve been, throughout my career, to fatalities where one person has survived and another didn’t because they weren’t wearing their seatbelt. The restraint is there for a purpose, and unfortunately, they succumbed to their injuries as a result of being pitched from a vehicle,” he says. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt in Ontario ranges from $200 to $1,000 and two demerit points, if convicted.
