Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that in 2016, the most recent year for which statistics have been compiled, there were 10,428 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. That number is more than the population of Greene County and of 99.5 percent of Iowa’s towns and cities.
According to NHTSA, 48 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2016 were unrestrained. Almost twice as many males were killed in crashes and they had a lower seat belt use rate. It is even worse at night when 56 percent of the fatalities were unrestrained.
Beginning May 21 until June 3, state and local law enforcement agencies will step up enforcement with the Click It or Ticket campaign. The concentrated effort will be on the lookout for motorists who aren’t wearing their seat belts. “Click It or Ticket is not just about writing traffic tickets; it’s about saving lives,” a Jefferson PD press releases stated.
Patrick Hoye, bureau chief, Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, said “If you have a friend or family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please encourage them to make it a habit. It is such a simple thing to do and it very well could save their life.”
The Jefferson police department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau remind Iowans that seat belts save lives, and everyone – front seat and back, child and adult – needs to remember to buick up, every trip, every time.
