More Iowans are buckling up when they get in a vehicle. Mark Nagel, with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says a new survey conducted by Iowa State University shows seatbelt usage in Iowa has climbed to an all-time high.
The increase in seatbelt usage is one reason for the relatively low traffic fatality numbers posted in recent years in the state. Nagel says there’s room for improvement.
A law, requiring front-seat passengers wear a seat belt, was enacted in Iowa in 1987.
Last year in Iowa, 317 people were killed in traffic crashes. That marked the lowest total since 1944. Nagel says the state is on pace to possibly have even fewer traffic fatalities this year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) requires each state to conduct a seatbelt survey, using NHTSA (pronounced “NIT-suh”) guidelines, to continue to receive federal funding for traffic safety campaigns. In 2013, Iowa posted one of the highest seat belt compliance rates in the country. It’s unclear, for now, where Iowa stands this year in the national rankings.
