 Statewide Seat Belt Initiative Launched during Thanksgiving Holiday
Law enforcement officials from over 325 agencies will be patrolling Iowa’s city streets, rural
roadways and interstates, urging motorists to buckle up and obey all traffic laws in preparation
for the busy, Thanksgiving holiday. November 23–29, 2009 officers all across the state will be
out in force as part of Iowa’s Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP).
As of October 20, 2009, the Iowa Department of Transportation reported 303 fatalities on
Iowa roadways. This number will likely continue to climb as we know the Thanksgiving holiday
weekend can be deadly. Eight persons perished on our highways over this weekend in 2008
and 16 suffered the same fate in 2007. Iowa’s seat belt usage rate remains at 93%, placing
the state in the top ten in the country. The seven percent of Iowans not buckled up
however, translates into more than 180,000 drivers and 70,000 front seat passengers traveling
everyday on our roadways at a much greater risk of serious injury or death.
“Our biggest highway traffic safety challenge remains convincing all motorists to make that 3-
second investment to buckle up every trip, every time!” notes Randy Hunefeld, sTEP
Coordinator for the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau. Hunefeld further advises that “You don’t
always get a second chance in a traffic crash, so why risk it; give yourself that chance by
buckling up.”
During the last sTEP wave that spanned August 21–September 3, 2009, 237 reporting law
enforcement agencies encountered 990 impaired drivers, 3,469 seat belt violators, 14,718
speeders and a total of 37,889 traffic violations. Officers made 111 felony and 292 narcotics
arrests with 383 arrest warrants served. During the same period, 1,964 motorists were
assisted and 1,069 crashes were investigated. These contributing enforcement efforts have
no doubt had an effect on saving lives and preventing serious injury crashes. The next sTEP
wave is scheduled for March 17–21, 2010 in conjunction with the week encompassing the
Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend.
For additional information, go to www.iowagtsb.org or www.nhtsa.dot.gov. or you may
contact:
Randy Hunefeld, sTEP Coordinator
Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0248
515-725-6124 or 515-447-8041
hunefeld@dps.state.ia.us
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