UTAH, Nov. 25, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Public Safety and multiple police agencies around the state will focus on seat belt enforcement this long holiday weekend.
The reason is a decrease in seat belt usage in Utah.
“Utah’s seat belt use rate in 2024 was 90.7%, a decrease from 92.4% in 2023,” a Utah DPS statement says.
“To reverse this trend, the Utah Department of Public Safety and 42 police agencies statewide will increase seat belt enforcement throughout Utah from Nov. 27-Dec. 1, working more than 260 additional shifts around the holiday travel period to educate motorists who aren’t wearing seat belts.
“DPS has more than doubled the number of enforcement shifts this season compared to 2023 to address this potentially deadly behavior.”
Almost a quarter of the 251 fatalities so far this year were unrestrained, the DPS statement says.
“Even with a dip in 2024 from 2023, the seat belt usage rate still remains higher than 2018, 2019, and 2021.”
The increased seat belt enforcement begins Wednesday of this week, which is the day before Thanksgiving, and continues through Sunday of next week.
