The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding everyone to buckle up this upcoming holiday season and continue to do so every day. Since 2017, there have been 2,825 people killed in crashes due to not wearing an available safety belt. In fact, the percentage of unbelted fatalities has risen from 56% in 2017 to 64% in 2021.

“Traveling without a safety belt is an unnecessary risk that I encourage everyone to avoid,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “There is no question, safety belts save lives.”

In 2021, Ohio’s safety belt usage rate was 84.1%, a decrease from 85.9% in 2019. Unfortunately, this illustrates that some Ohioans still do not buckle up.

“Properly wearing a safety belt saves lives and reduces the risk of injuries,” said Lt. Robert Curry, commander of the Delaware Post. “When a safety belt is improperly worn, the potential for crash-related injuries and death increases dramatically.”

Ohio’s safety belt law remains a secondary violation; however, troopers will continue zero-tolerance enforcement when motorists are stopped for other violations and are found to not be wearing their safety belt. Since 2017, more than 550,000 people have been issued seat belt citations.

Troopers encourage everyone to Buckle Up Every Trip, Every Time. For a complete statistical analysis of safety belt violations, visit https://statepatrol.ohio.gov/static/links/SafetyBeltBulletin_2022_11.pdf.