WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A local woman’s accident is showing how a seat belt can save a life.

Linda Strickler, of Bristolville, is joining Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club after her own seatbelt saved her from sustaining life-threatening injuries.

The club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and more than 400 Ohio law enforcement agencies. It was created to show people who have benefited from their choice to wear a seatbelt.

Provisional data from 2021 shows that there were 515 deaths from crashes in which a safety belt was not in use, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Strickler was wearing a seat belt when she was involved in a crash on state Route 88 in Trumbull County on March 1. Tuesday, she was presented with the Saved by the Belt Award.

She was given the certificate by Ohio State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Daniel W. Morrison, who said, “Linda is a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has up-to-date statistics and information on safety belts on its Safety Belt Dashboard.