Members of law enforcement throughout the area are banding together for a two-week long Governor Traffic Safety Bureau’s Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) from Monday, May 20 through Sunday, June 2. With the onset of summer activities and the official kick-off over the Memorial Day weekend, drivers will see an increase in the presence of authorities as they work to educate and inform drivers across the state, with an emphasis on seat belt usage. In 2018, there were four traffic fatalities in Iowa over the Memorial Day weekend—four deaths that could have been prevented. In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes nationwide. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, the goal is to protect all drivers and their families. They are also hoping to dispel a lot of the myths surrounding seatbelt usage. For example, it is not true that riding in a bigger vehicle will protect you any better during an accident. Fifty-nine percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in 2017 were not buckled, compared to 42 percent of car occupants. People also often believe they are safer in the backseat. Forty-six percent of all front-seat passengers were killed in 2017 crashes, but 56 percent of back seat occupants killed were unbelted. And contrary to popular belief, residents of rural areas area actually more likely to get in a crash than those in an urban setting.
