Of the 13 traffic fatalities in Clark County last year, nine of the victims were not wearing seat belts, Aller said.
Drivers or passengers who do not wear seat belts can be severely injured even in vehicles driving at slow speeds, troopers said.
Troopers often hear drivers rationalize that if they drive carefully, they will not get into a crash, Aller said.
“But it’s not just you, it’s the person that’s driving toward you or around you or at you that could cause a crash,” he said.
More than 900 fatal crashes across the state of Ohio killed 1,009 people in 2014, according to data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
On a patrol last week to look for seat belt violators, troopers stopped a Springfield driver who did not have a front license plate and was not properly wearing his seat belt.
A seat belt violation is a secondary violation, according to state laws, which means law enforcement officers cannot stop a driver for just that. Troopers must first see a ‘primary cause’ like speeding or lack of a front license plate to pull a driver over.
During the stop the driver, Kenneth Ware of Springfield, received a ticket and fine for improper seat belt use — the belt was buckled, but the strap was not across his chest. Ware later said he knows the importance of wearing a seat belt.
“I’ve actually seen some accidents where seat belts have saved people,” Ware said.
Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear their seat belts at all times while in a moving vehicle or they could be fined. Adults in vehicles can also be ticketed for not securely restraining children who are in their vehicles.
Seat belt enforcement means many drivers will be ticketed and fined, Aller said, but he hopes it changes their habits and they wear their seat belts.
“In the short term, he’s going to have to pay a fine for the seat belt — but in the long term I want to save his life down the road and make him think about his decision to wear a belt or not wear a belt,” he said.
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