Law enforcement officials from over 325 agencies will be patrolling Iowa’scity streets, rural roadways and interstates, urging motorists to buckle up and obey all traffic laws in preparation for the busy, Thanksgiving holiday. This November 23-29, 2009, officers with the Marshalltown Police Department and other officers 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 could climb as we know the Thanksgiving holiday weekend can be deadly. Eight persons perished on Iowa 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. That seven percent still translates into more than 180,000 drivers and 70,000 front seat passengers at a big risk on our roadways.

One of the biggest hurdles is getting people to take 3 seconds of their time to Buckle Up. You don’t always get a second chance in atraffic crash, so why risk it; give yourself that chance by buckling up. Every Trip, Every Time!