Monday marks the beginning of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) Memorial Day high-visibility campaign, which this year focuses on seatbelt usage. The campaign runs from Monday, May 20, through Sunday, June 2, and law enforcement agencies throughout the state are expected to participate. Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District 4 Public Resource Officer Shelby McCreedy says Memorial Day is historically one of the most dangerous weekends of the year for motorists.
The theme for this year’s campaign, ‘Click It, Don’t Risk It,’ underscores the importance of wearing a seatbelt. Forty-five percent of the people who lost their lives on Iowa’s roadways in 2023 were not wearing their seatbelt. McCreedy stresses that a seatbelt’s protection extends beyond the wearer, making it a vital safety measure for everyone in the car.
Iowa law currently requires seatbelt use only in the front seat of a vehicle. While you might not get a ticket in the backseat, McCreedy encourages passengers to think beyond the fine.
McCreedy reminds motorists that failure to wear a seatbelt is a primary offense in Iowa, meaning drivers can get pulled over even if they are doing everything else correctly.
The “Click It, Don’t Risk It” campaign begins Monday, May 20, and concludes Sunday, June 2.
