Law enforcement pleads with motorists to buckle up during the holidays

Melissa Zelig survived a crash in 2021 and shared how her seat belt saved her life and the life of passengers. (Photo: Utah Department of Public Safety)

SALT LAKE CITY — With holiday travel in full swing, the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) are educating Utahns on proper seat belt use and why it’s important.

AAA predicts that 50 million people will be traveling more than 50 miles this holiday. The majority of travelers will be driving, as gas prices are around $3.98 on average in Utah.

Melissa Zelig was traveling with her best friend and family to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming on July 14, 2021, for a backpacking trip. While en route, a westbound car traveling in the opposite direction at freeway speeds attempted to pass a semi-truck but hit their vehicle head-on. (Photo: Utah Department of Public Safety)

UHP Major Jeff Nigbur said, research shows that 91.8 percent of Utahns are buckling up. That’s a four percent increase from last year and the highest usage they’ve seen to date. Troopers saw a decrease in seat belt usage in 2021, so they’re thrilled to see the number going in a positive direction again.

There will be increased seat belt enforcement throughout Utah during the next week. During that time, law enforcement agencies throughout the state will work more than 250 additional shifts to stop and educate motorists who aren’t wearing seat belts.

Melissa Zelig survived a crash in 2021 and shared how her seat belt saved her life and the life of passengers.

My seat belt did what it was supposed to do,” says Zelig. “It kept me in place, saving my own life and preventing me from harming others in the car.”

Zelig was traveling with her best friend and family to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming on July 14, 2021, for a backpacking trip. While en route, a westbound car traveling in the opposite direction at freeway speeds attempted to pass a semi-truck but hit their vehicle head-on.

Troopers report, seat belts are life-saving devices – and the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing injury and death. Not only is it critical to buckle up every time, no matter the distance, it’s equally as important to wear that seat belt properly. UHP reminds travelers that seat belts should be placed on the hips and across the collarbone, away from the neck. It should never be worn behind the back or arm and passengers should never recline their seat or put feet on the dashboard.

Troopers advise drivers and passengers to wear seat belts properly, and encourage others to do the same. It isn’t just a personal decision; it’s the law.


[email protected]

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

1 Comment

  • Jim jones November 27, 2022 at 3:15 pm Reply

    This is a self correcting issue. I am a retired Leo, and I don’t care if you buckle up. If you want to be maimed or ejected in an auto accident. Then don’t buckle up, but don’t whine about being crippled afterward. Free will and accept responsibility for you actions. Just think if you end up being a splatter spot, the LEO’s will take pictures of you looking like road kill for future training of cadets.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.