Memorial Day weekend is predicted to be one of the busiest travel holidays in many years, and law enforcement is already putting a stronger presence on Iowa’s roads. State trooper Paul Gardner, who’s based in Fort Dodge, says drivers need to keep their cool and use their heads.
The summer driving season is looming which means more traffic and the potential for more roadway deaths.
With kids out of school, those of driving age will be getting behind the wheel in greater numbers, which Gardner says can be a problem, since many aren’t very experienced drivers yet.
A report from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau says 45% of traffic fatalities in Iowa last year were people who were unbuckled. That translates to 123 lives lost. A bureau survey of Iowans found 88% reported always buckling up in the front seat, while only 67% always buckle up in the back seat.
