Seat belt legislation in Canada

Seat belt legislation in Canada is left to the provinces. Initially, seat belt use was not compulsory. Ontario was the first province to pass a law which required vehicle occupants to wear seat belts, a law that came into effect on January 1, 1976.[1]

All provinces in Canada have primary enforcement seat belt laws. Primary enforcement allows a police officer to stop and ticket a driver if s/he observes a violation. Secondary enforcement means that a police officer may only stop or cite a driver for a seatbelt violation if the driver committed another primary violation (such as speeding, running a stop sign, etc.) at the same time.

The laws by province

This table contains a brief summary of all seatbelt laws in the Canada.[2][3] This list includes only seatbelt laws, which often do not themselves apply to children; however, all provinces and territories have separate child restraint laws. A subsequent offense may be much higher.

State Type of law Date of first law Who is covered Base fine before fees Demerit points lost Usage[4]
Alberta Primary Enforcement 01987-07-01 July 1, 1987 Age 16+ in all seats $115 0 92.0%
British Columbia Primary Enforcement 01977-10-01 October 1, 1977 Age 16+ in all seats $167 0 96.9%
Manitoba Primary Enforcement 01984-04-01 April 1, 1984 Age 16+ in all seats $235 2 93.8%
New Brunswick Primary Enforcement 01983-11-01 November 1, 1983 Age 16+ in all seats $168 2 94.8%
Newfoundland and Labrador Primary Enforcement 01982-07-01 July 1, 1982 Age 16+ in all seats $115 2 93.1%
Northwest Territories Primary Enforcement 01988-07-01 July 1, 1988 Age 16+ in all seats $115 2 84.9%
Nova Scotia Primary Enforcement 01985-01-01 January 1, 1985 Age 16+ in all seats $157.50 2 90.1%
Ontario Primary Enforcement 01976-01-01 January 1, 1976 Age 16+ in all seats $240 2 96.0%
Prince Edward Island Primary Enforcement 01987-07-01 July 1, 1987 Age 16+ in all seats $110 3 89.7%
Quebec Primary Enforcement 01976-08-15 August 15, 1976 Age 16+ in all seats $115-154 3 96.0%
Saskatchewan Primary Enforcement 01977-07-01 July 1, 1977 Age 16+ in all seats $165 3 96.8%
Yukon Primary Enforcement 01991-07-01 July 1, 1991 Age 15+ in all seats $75 4 78.1%

References

  1. ^ "Seatbelts Saving Lives In Ontario For 35 Years". News.ontario.ca. http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2010/12/seatbelts-saving-lives-in-ontario-for-35-years.html. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
  2. ^ Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators Standing Committee on Road Safety Research and Policies: Annual Monitoring Report 2010
  3. ^ "Transport Canada: Statistics and Data". Tc.gc.ca. 2011-07-18. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/resources-researchstats-menu-847.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
  4. ^ "Results of Transport Canada’s Rural and Urban Surveys of Seat Belt Use in Canada 2009-2010". Tc.gc.ca. 2011-01-26. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2436-rs201101-1149.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-13.