Motorists in southeast Iowa should be mindful of increased traffic enforcement on state roadways over the next few days.

Iowa State Patrol District 13 Public Resource Officer Jason Marlow says today through Saturday will be the second wave of Iowa’s Fatality Reduction Task Force effort this year. Troopers will be focusing on removing impaired drivers in an effort to help lower the state’s annual traffic fatalities to below 300. This comes as Iowa saw the largest number of fatalities of the year so far this May with 41, and to date there have been 119 traffic-related deaths. Thirty seven of these fatalities involved the deceased not wearing a seat belt. Marlow urges drivers to slow down, buckle up, and not drive impaired.