ISP reminds motorists to buckle up

ISP reminds motorists to buckle up

Through Friday, Aug. 7, the Idaho State Police will join partner law enforcement agencies and the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety in providing extra focus on seat belt education and enforcement during traffic stops.

Safety restraints are mandatory for occupants of vehicles in Idaho because they’re proven to save lives and reduce the seriousness of injuries from vehicle crashes. Troopers speak with motorists every day about the importance of wearing seat belts, and will increase their focus even more during this statewide seat belt enforcement effort.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a vast majority of Americans understand the lifesaving value of wearing belts; the national use rate was 90.7% in 2019. NHTSA data shows in 2017, nearly 15,000 people survived crashes because they chose to buckle up.

In Idaho, seat belt use is lower than the national average, at 85%. According to OHS, nearly two-thirds of people killed in motor vehicle crashes were not properly restrained. The majority of those people were killed on rural roads.

Funding for additional seat belt enforcement is provided by a grant from the Idaho Transportation Department through the National Highway Traffic Administration.