Government : ROADSIDE CHAT - SAY 'YES' TO THE BELT. YOU CAN IRON YOUR DRESS.

Are you particular about your clothes? One of the "excuses" we hear for why people don't wear a seat belt is that it might wrinkle their clothes.

Yep, you read that correctly. People are choosing fewer wrinkles over a lifesaving technology proven to prevent thousands of deaths and serious injuries each year.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, for drivers and front-seat passengers, using a lap and shoulder belt reduces the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent in an SUV, van, or pickup and by 45 percent in a car.

Yet, nearly half of people killed in crashes in the United States are not belted. In Iowa, this year's statistics show that more than 50 percent of those killed in vehicle crashes were unbelted.

Say yes to the belt. It could save your life.

Why do seatbelts matter?

So far this year in Iowa, 126 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That's an increase of four since last Friday. In Iowa in 2022, there were 338 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf