DPS NEWS

Utah DPS Reports A Five-Year Low In Statewide Seat Belt Use Rate

For Immediate Release:

New local research reveals a troubling trend in seat belt use

WHAT: 

A 2021 observational study shows that Utah’s statewide seat belt use rate has dropped to a five-year low. 88.2% of Utahns were observed to buckle up (the lowest rate since 2016), compared to a study in 2019 showing 90.2%.

This month’s Click It or Ticket campaign aims to educate Utahns about the importance of buckling up. The campaign runs from November 17-28, strategically planned around the holidays when more people are traveling. Law enforcement agencies throughout the state will work more than 300 additional shifts to stop and educate drivers and passengers who aren’t properly buckled. Additionally, UHP troopers will be reaching out to college-aged drivers at SLCC on Monday to reward them with a free FiiZdrink when they wear their seat belts.  DPS officials will be present to discuss the enforcement and study projects. 

Over the last five years, unrestrained fatalities account for a staggering 45% of total vehicle roadway deaths in Utah. Seat belts are the most effective traffic safety device by helping occupants stay in place, avoid becoming projectiles, and help drivers maintain control of the vehicle in a crash. 

WHEN: Monday, November 22, 2021, at 12:30 pm

WHERE: Salt Lake Community College – Jordan Campus
3491 West 9000 South
West Jordan, UT 84088
(North entrance near the SLCC sign) 

WHO:

• Sgt. Cameron Roden, Utah Highway Patrol 
• Jason Mettmann, Utah Highway Safety Office

VISUALS:

• UHP Troopers distributing FiiZgift cards to seat belt users at SLCC
• Click it or Ticket Digital campaign materials 
• One-on-one interviews with DPS officials
  

Click It Or Ticket Digital Media Toolkit found HERE 

Media Contacts:

Sgt. Cameron Roden
Utah Highway Patrol PIO
croden@utah.gov
385.290.2925