Utah Department of Public Safety to crack down on seat belt enforcement
Mar 21, 2024, 7:30 AM
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, one-third of deaths on the road are due to the lack of a seat belt. (Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Public Safety is cracking down on seat belt enforcement statewide from March 22 to March 25. This is part of the ongoing “Click it or Ticket” campaign.
“Over 18 law enforcement agencies throughout the state will work more than 120 overtime shifts to stop and educate motorists who aren’t wearing seat belts,” DPS said in a press release.
According to DPS, seat belt use has increased from 91.8 % in 2022 to 92.4% in 2023. But, last year, there were still 64 fatalities resulting from not wearing a seat belt. Over half of those deaths happened between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. when seat belt use tends to decrease.
“Over the last five years, unrestrained fatalities accounted for nearly a third of total vehicle occupant roadway deaths in Utah; in 2023, it was 43%,” Lieutenant Cameron Roden said. “Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device by helping occupants stay in place, avoid becoming projectiles, and help drivers maintain control of the vehicle in a crash. They save about 15,000 lives a year.”
The Highway Safety Office wants to remind drivers that not only is it critical to buckle up, it’s “equally as important to wear that seat belt properly.”
That means people should situate seat belts on the hips and across the collarbone. No one should ever wear them behind the back or arm.
To further encourage Utahans to wear seat belts, DPS is also pushing forward a social media campaign called “Defy Death,” featuring the Grim Reaper attempting to persuade people to not buckle up.
“This isn’t just a personal decision, it’s the law,” DPS said in the press release.
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