Iowa State Patrol strives to lower the state’s annual traffic fatalities below 300, though factors including excessive speed, alcohol and other substances, and other seasonal driving patterns have worked against them.

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, the state reached its second highest fatality number in five years in 2020 with 338 deaths. ISP District 13 Public Resource Officer Jason Marlow says even one traffic fatality is too many, so he and other patrol officers communicate with motorists on what steps they can take to prevent this tragedy. Marlow mentions that the agency has started to see some traction for a state law that would require all vehicle occupants to wear a seat belt, “Currently Iowa requires those in the front seat of motor vehicles to be buckled up and then if you’re in a different seated position we look at the age of that particular passenger, kids in car seats, things of that sort, young adults that are required to be buckled up until the age 18. Would that make a difference? I think it would, and that person in the backseat may be saying to themselves, ‘Well I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m doing everything illegal at this point.’ That’s true, but having that seatbelt on, even in the backseat could make a huge difference.”

You can hear more about 2020 traffic patterns and the role of ISP officers during today’s edition of the KCII Public Safety Special Edition News Magazine with Marlow on air and at kciiradio.com.