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Last updated on Thursday, April 2, 2015
(BEDFORD) - Lawrence County Sheriff Mike Branham reports that his department will participate in Indiana’s Rural Demonstration Project to increase seat belt usage in rural communities.
The campaign, which is an annual traffic safety effort funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, begins Sunday and continues through April 25.
"The purpose of high visibility enforcement patrols is to deter risky driving behaviors that pose dangerous consequences both for the driver and other motorists," Branham says. "It is critical that we continue to focus on educating pickup truck drivers and other segments of the driving population, like young drivers, about the importance of seat belt usage, as both groups continue to account for the motorists most impacted by injuries and fatalities that could otherwise be avoided."
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute reported about 460 Hoosiers died on rural roadways in fatal accidents. That accounts for almost 64 percent of the state's total fatalities in 2014. About 79.2 percent of pickup truck drivers use seat belts while about 93 percent of drivers use seat belts in passenger vehicles.
The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department is one of 21 police agencies throughout the state that will increase seat belt patrols in 19 rural counties that report the highest percentage of unrestrained fatalities. During the project officers will be looking for unrestrained motorist in all vehicles including pickup trucks.
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