Buckle up, that's the message Alberta RCMP are sharing with motorists.

In Alberta, it's the responsibility of the driver to ensure all passengers under the age of 16 are properly secured with a seatbelt or child safety seat.

In 2017, 1 in 3 fatal collisions included at least one person not using safety equipment like a seatbelt or helmet.

Last year provincial Integrated Traffic Units issued 14,181 tickets to drivers and passengers for seatbelt and occupant restraint violations. In January this year, RCMP already issued 639 tickets for these violations.

According to police, seatbelts and childseats have been proven to increase chances of surviving a serious or fatal collision by 50 per cent.

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