ROADSIDE CHAT – BUCKLE UP, EVERY SEAT LIKE CLOCKWORK
Tomorrow night, we turn our clocks ahead one hour and spring forward. That’s when we really start itching for warmer temps, longer nights outdoors, and putting winter in the rearview mirror. Switching our clocks twice a year is such an automatic part of our lives in Iowa that we hardly think twice. Clicking our seatbelts should be like clockwork too.
When it comes to safety in our vehicles, there’s one simple rule that stands the test of time and can save lives: buckle up, every seat, every time. It’s easy to think of seatbelts as a front-seat-only requirement, but statistics show that this isn’t the case. In fact, not wearing a seatbelt – whether in the front or back – can be just as dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2020, 47% of the 22,000 people who died in car crashes were not wearing a seatbelt. What’s even more alarming is the risk to others when passengers in the back aren’t buckled up. Unbelted backseat passengers can become deadly projectiles in a crash, endangering both themselves and those seated in front of them.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that people in the backseat are three times more likely to be killed or injured in a crash if unrestrained. Even at low speeds, the risk is real. So, what can we do? Always buckle up, no matter where you’re sitting. Like clockwork.
In 2025 in Iowa, 36 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of three since last Friday. In Iowa in 2024, there were 354 traffic-related deaths. 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