UTAH, May 18, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Public Safety says it will dramatically increase enforcement of seatbelt-wearing laws starting Monday.
The increased enforcement period will be between Monday, May 21, and June 5. The goal of the Utah DPS and the Utah Highway Patrol is to encourage Utahns to buckle up for increased safety.
“Seatbelt use has decreased 2% from 90% in 2019 to 88% in 2021,” says a statement issued by the Utah DPS.
“The consequence of fewer people buckling up has resulted in an increase in fatalities. A staggering 50% of the fatalities in the first quarter of 2022 (January through March) were unrestrained, reported by the fatal crash review board, which includes traffic safety engineers from the Utah Department of Transportation,” it says.
“And, over the last five years, unrestrained fatalities account for 47% of total vehicle roadway deaths in Utah, and 49% of all driver fatalities.”
Between May 23 and June 5, 52 law enforcement agencies throughout Utah will work 480 additional shifts “to stop and educate motorists who aren’t wearing a seat belt,” the statement says.
DPS has also launched a new campaign featuring the Grim Reaper attempting to persuade drivers to not properly buckle up, with a call to action to “cheat death.” The campaign can be seen on billboards, social media, TV and online.
