Idaho Falls, ID – The Idaho Falls Police Department is partnering with the Idaho Officer of Highway Safety and law enforcement agencies across Idaho to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up.

This month the Idaho Falls Police Department has responded to 153 vehicle accidents. Of those accidents, 45 included one or more person with reported injuries. That number grows every day.

Vehicle collisions can happen to anyone. One of the major predictive factors of whether or not someone will be injured in a vehicle collision, and the seriousness of those injuries, is whether or not that person is wearing a seatbelt or other appropriate safety restraint.

On July 25^th, the Idaho Falls Police Department joined law enforcement agencies across Idaho to patrol for drivers not using safety restraints. IFPD will have Officers patrolling with this focus through August 7^th and will work to educate drivers on the importance of proper seatbelt usage for themselves and others in the car, especially children.

A release from the Idaho Office of Highway Safety follows with information about this mobilization, misconceptions about seatbelt usage, and general information about the importance of seatbelts.

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