Caution: 100 Deadliest Driving Days Begin
(KLIX) – As the temperatures rise, so do the number vehicle crashes.
Memorial Day weekend starts the 100 deadliest driving days of the year, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation.
This week the department’s Office of Highway Safety has joined with law enforcement agencies across the Gem State in the “Click It, Don’t Risk It” campaign, which encourages and reminds people to wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a vehicle.
"Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash," says John Tomlinson, Idaho Transportation Department safety manager. "When you use a seat belt, you increase your odds of surviving a crash by 50 percent; it is so easy to do and we know it works."
The campaign goes through June 2, but seat belts should be used every time a person gets into vehicle.
"We know that seat belts save lives, but still see too many people choose not to buckle up," ITD Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson said in a statement. "Hopefully this effort will help Idahoans make the right choice — especially as we head into the busy summer months."
The 100 Deadliest Days refers to the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when there is an increase in the number of deadly crashes.
ITD said that 102 people died in crashes on Idaho roads during the summer months in 2018; 38 of them were not wearing seat belts. A number of fatal crashes already have been reported on Idaho’s roads and highways this year.
"Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash," Tomlinson said. "When you use a seat belt, you increase your odds of surviving a crash by 50 percent; it is so easy to do and we know it works."