Under proposed amendments to the Highway Traffic Act, each passenger would be required to occupy a seat in a motor vehicle and use the seatbelt provided, and passengers in wheelchairs would also need to be secured with a seatbelt. This announcement was made by Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton.
“We want to ensure seatbelts are used properly to give passengers the best chance of surviving a collision,” said Ashton. “Restraints are proven to be a life-saving part of vehicle safety designs.”
The proposed amendments to the act would also prohibit the transportation of passengers in a vehicle’s cargo area, such as the back of a pickup truck, and restrict the number of passengers to the number of seatbelts in a vehicle. The proposed amendment would also ensure that all wheelchairs are adequately secured or tied-down in the vehicle while in transport and that all passengers in wheelchairs are using a seatbelt.
“The proposed amendments will enhance passenger safety on Manitoba’s roads and highways,” the minister said.
