Message Monday - If you're a rider, don't be a slider. All seats buckled
Seat belt use by adult rear-seat passengers isn’t required by Iowa law, but buckling up every seat, every time is a smart habit that could save not only your life but others in the car with you. Crash research shows unbuckled passengers get thrown around during a crash potentially causing severe injuries or even death to others in the vehicle.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers are twice as likely to be killed in a crash if the backseat passenger behind them is unrestrained. With the popularity of rideshares like Uber and Lyft, the question of dangers from unbuckled backseat passengers has made headlines.
For 2019, there have been 118 fatalities reported. That’s an increase of five since last Monday. The 2018 fatality count stands at 318. This is subject to change as law enforcement reports are completed. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf.