SIDNEY – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is preparing for its Click It or Ticket campaign over Memorial Day.
A sheriff’s office press release provides Fremont County statistics, including eight traffic fatalities since February of 2020. Over the same time period, the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the county total nine.
The sheriff’s office says there were 33 accidents and most of the traffic fatalities involve people who were not wearing seat belts.
Sheriff Kevin Aistrope said Iowa expects increased summer travel and has seen a trend toward increased speeding.
Aistrope: “Unfortunately, with the increase in summer traffic, there could be a rise in traffic crashes and fatalities.”
Over Memorial Day weekend last year, there were five traffic fatalities on Iowa roadways.
“One of the safest choices drivers and passengers in both the front and back seat can make is to buckle up and doing so only takes a few seconds.”
The Click It or Ticket campaign is May 24 to June 6.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Iowa’s seatbelt compliance rate is 95.2 percent, compared to 90.7 percent nationally.
Aistrope: “While this is outstanding, roughly 48 percent of fatal crashes occurring in 2021 are unbelted.
Aistrope: “It is extremely important to understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt.”
