Ionia County law enforcement will be conducting seat belt enforcement in Ionia and Berlin townships and in the Portland area from May 20 to June 2, according to a sheriff’s media release.

The purpose of the mobilization by deputies and officers is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries caused by not wearing a seat belt.

 

The Ionia Sheriff’s Office, the Ionia Department of Public Safety and the Portland Department, in cooperation with the Michigan State Police and the Office of Safety Planning (OSP) will target the areas identified by the OSP as high risk traffic crash areas in Ionia County.

 

Some facts on why seatbelts save lives:

*Three out of four people ejected from their vehicle in a crash will die. Wearing a seat belt the most effective way to stay alive in a crash.

 

*In 2017, 65 percent of male and 39 percent of female passengers killed in passenger vehicle crashes weren’t buckled.

 

*Young Adults: Buckle Up! In 2017, more than half (57 percent) of young adults 18 to 34 year killed in crashes weren’t buckled up.

                                                                                                                             

*Driving a pickup isn’t enough to keep you safe. Fifty nine percent of pickup truck occupants killed in crashes in 2017 weren’t wearing a seat belt.

 

*In 2017, 10,076 vehicle occupants killed in crashes weren’t wearing a seat belt.

 

*You have only a 50 percent chance of surviving a car crash if you’re not wearing a seat belt.