Ohio State Highway Patrol Urges Drivers and Passengers to Buckle Up

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists that wearing a safety belt is the most effective way to reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a crash.

Ohio law requires drivers and front-seat passengers to wear safety belts. Passengers younger than 15 must also be properly restrained, regardless of where they are seated.

Although Ohio’s safety-belt law is a secondary violation, troopers may issue citations when motorists stopped for another offense are found not wearing their belts.

According to the Patrol, 2,741 people who were not wearing an available safety belt have been killed in Ohio crashes since 2021. Among occupants ages 21 through 40 who were killed, 72 percent were not buckled up.

Troopers issued more than 332,000 safety-belt and child-restraint citations during that same period.

Patrol Superintendent Colonel Charles Jones said troopers regularly witness the consequences of occupants failing to buckle up. The Patrol reminds everyone to use a safety belt on every trip, regardless of the distance.

Drivers may safely call #677 to report impaired motorists, drug activity or stranded vehicles.