Safe summer travels

Summer is in full swing and so is the summer driving season. Law enforcement and department of transportation personnel all over Iowa are working diligently to make sure your summer driving season is a safe one. Listed below are some simple things you can do to help keep you and your family safe.

These tips are provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and can be found on the NHTSA website.

• Don’t Drive After Drinking — In 2022 there were 13,524 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the United States. That means every 39 minutes, someone dies in an alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crash. Be responsible – don’t drink and drive. If you plan to drink, choose a sober designated driver before going out.

• Check your Tire’s Air Pressure, Tread Wear, and Spare — Make sure each tire is filled to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure, which is listed in your owner’s manual and on a placard located on the driver’s door pillar or door frame; and don’t forget to check your spare if your vehicle is equipped with one.

• Keep Children Safe in and Around Your Vehicle — Make sure car seats and booster seats are properly installed and that any children riding with you are in the car seat or booster seat best suited to protect them. There are other dangers to children in and around cars that you should know. One of those dangers is hyperthermia, or heat stroke, from being left unattended in a hot vehicle.

• Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. — Everybody aboard must agree to wear their seatbelts every time they are riding or driving in your vehicle. Wearing a seatbelt is the best defense against a crash.

I am often asked why police departments place so much emphasis on seat belt use and enforcement. The answer is simple, seat belts save lives. During my law enforcement career, I have heard many arguments about why people don’t need to wear seat belts. Here are some of the more common excuses and my counter arguments for wearing a seat belt.

• I’m only driving downtown or to the grocery store.

This is the best time to wear a seat belt since 80 percent of traffic fatalities occur within 25 miles of your home and at speeds less than 40 mph.

• I won’t get into an accident. I am a good driver.

You might be a good driver and that might help you avoid some accidents. However, even good drivers cannot always avoid the bad driver that hits them.

• I’m afraid the seat belt will trap me in my car.

The best place to be during a car accident is inside your car. You are 25 times more likely to die if you are ejected from your car during an accident. A very small percentage of accidents involve car fires or submergence in water requiring a fast exit from your vehicle.

• Seat belts are uncomfortable.

Modern seat belts are actually made to provide more comfort to the user. Most of them allow you to have some movement and some belts come with comfort clips that hold the belt in a slightly slackened position. If the belt won’t fit around you, belt extenders can be purchased.

• I don’t need a belt. I have an airbag.

Air bags are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts. Air bags by themselves are only 12 percent effective at reducing deaths during an accident. Air bags increase the effectiveness of a seat belt by 40 percent. Air bags also do not protect you against side impacts.

It only takes three seconds to buckle up. Choosing to wear your seat belt might be the best decision you make today and could mean the difference between life and death.

Avoid Risky Behaviors

You know the rules: Do not text or drive distracted and obey posted speed limits.

Following these simple and quick tips will go a long way towards keeping you and your love ones safe this summer driving season. Have a great summer Marshalltown!

For additional safety tips from NHTSA visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/summer-driving-tips.

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Mike Tupper is the chief of the

Marshalltown Police Department.