Law officers across the state begin a special effort today (Tuesday) to find motorists in the Hawkeye State who aren’t wearing their seatbelts. State Trooper Adam Buck is the coordinator of the Special Traffic Enforcement Program also known as “STEP.” He says over 325 law enforcement agencies have committed extra enforcement to the campaign. Buck says federal funds will help many of the agencies pay for extra officers to patrol the highways. He says Iowa’s seatbelt usage rate is 86-percent, but says that leaves 14-percent who don’t buckle up. Buck says he can assure the public Iowa’s law officers won’t rest until there’s 100-percent seatbelt usage. Buck says Iowa officers can and will pull you over even if it’s just for a seatbelt violation. He says many states have what’s known as a “secondary law” in which they have to stop you for something else first before ticketing you for not wearing a seatbelt. So, Buck says you should buckle up as well as watching your speed. The STEP program will run through December 1st.
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