(Des Moines) During this year’s Memorial Day holiday reporting period, from May 19 to June 1, law enforcement will focus on seatbelt enforcement as part of the Specialized Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP).
Iowa State Patrol Trooper and Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy noted that Iowa’s seatbelt compliance rate is around 90 percent. However, she pointed out that, according to last year’s statistics, approximately 40 percent of motor vehicle fatalities involved individuals not wearing seatbelts. McCreedy says this applies to passengers in the back seat and those in the front.
Trooper McCreedy emphasizes that although the law does not mandate that backseat passengers wear seat belts, she strongly advises them to do so. She points out that no studies indicate that unrestrained passengers in the backseat have a lower risk of dying in a crash compared to those in the front seat.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with law enforcement across Iowa to support the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Click It. Don’t Risk It. high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which runs from May 19 to June 1, 2025, coincides with the Memorial Day holiday.
