November 21, 2024

NEWS RELEASE

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies are reminding motorists to wear their seatbelts. Through the holiday weekend extra Deputies will be working high traffic areas looking for aggressive drivers and enforcing seatbelt laws. This mobilization is in conjunction with the Idaho Office of Highway Safety and Law Enforcement throughout Idaho to look for and seatbelt and traffic violations.

Statistics show around 80% of Idaho motorists use their seatbelt, however around 40% of fatality crashes involve drivers and occupants who were not buckled up. That’s more than a third of Idaho’s fatality crashes that may have been prevented has someone taken a moment to fasten their belt and correctly utilize the safety systems in their vehicle.

Now that winter driving conditions are here it’s more important to make sure you buckle up. Factors such as rapidly changing temperature and weather conditions this time of year can take drivers by surprise and affect their ability to safety control their vehicle. With that it only makes sense to make yourself and your passengers as safe as possible by wearing your seatbelt.

Here are some important tips to remember for winter driving in addition to buckling up:

1. Always make paying attention to your driving a priority and avoid distractions, no matter what time of year it is.
2. Be patient, obey traffic laws, and don’t be an aggressive driver. Failing to do so only adds risk to you and others.
3. Before you leave, make sure all of your windows are clear of snow, ice, and frost. Shorter daylight hours and weather conditions already limit visibility, why wouldn’t you want to have the best possible ability to see out of your windows.
4. Slow down in inclement weather and recognize roads may be more slippery than they appear. Planning enough travel time ahead of time helps avoid the feeling that you need to be in a hurry.
5. Slow down and move over for Emergency Vehicles, Tow Trucks, and Construction zones. If you see flashing lights, watch for altered traffic control or patterns, objects, and people that may be temporarily in the roadway.

With these tips in mind, putting your seatbelt on should always be the first thing you do before you put the car in gear. This includes making sure kids are properly buckled up in a car seat or booster seat. Once everyone is buckled up your focus can be on safe driving and getting to your destination as safe as possible. For more information on safe driving go to the Idaho Office of Highway Safety website www.shift-Idaho.org.