WAPAKONETA — Fort Loramie resident Watson Cramer joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club after his child safety seat saved him from sustaining life-threatening injuries. The crash occurred on state Route 66 in Auglaize County on Dec. 12, 2022.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Craft, Wapakoneta Post, presented Watson and his mother, Kelly Cramer, with a “Saved by the Belt” ceftificate signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson and Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. Watson was also presented with a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket, a blanket, and a Teddy Trooper bear with his name embroidered on them.

“Watson is a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Craft said. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”

Provisional data from 2021 shows 515 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use. For up-to-date statistics and information on safety belts, log onto the Patrol’s Safety Belt Dashboard at https://www.safetybeltdashboard.ohio.gov/.

The “Saved by the Belt” Club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and more than 400 Ohio law enforcement agencies. This club is designed to recognize people who have benefited from their decision to wear safety belts.