Idaho Falls Police Join Holiday Buckle Up Campaign

The Following is a press release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.

IDAHO FALLS–The Idaho Falls Police Department is joining a national effort to reach out to all Thanksgiving travelers with one important message – buckle up!
The IFPD will be stepping up patrols starting Nov. 19 thanks to a $7,500 National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant to help encourage people to buckle up as part of the national campaign, “Buckle Up America – Every Trip, Every Time.” The campaign ends Nov. 29.
“For the majority of people in Idaho Falls, buckling up is, thankfully, a regular habit,” Idaho Falls Police Chief Mark McBride said. “But we still have some that don’t buckle up – for whatever reason. This campaign serves as a reminder that buckling your seat belt is one of the simplest, safest things you’ll ever do.”
Each year in our country, tens of thousands of passengers die in motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA estimates that proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50 percent. In 2013, approximately 12,584 people survived crashes because they were buckled up. If everyone had worn their seat belts that year, an additional 2,800 lives could have been saved.
Historically, the Thanksgiving holiday is the busiest travel time of the year, putting more people on the road and unfortunately increasing the likelihood of crashes. In 2013, more than 300 people were killed in crashes on Thanksgiving weekend alone. Many of those lives could have been saved if they’d been wearing a seat belt.
This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, make sure your seat belt is buckled before you start any road trip—whether it’s one mile or a thousand.