The Bremen Police Department announced Friday its participation in Indiana’s annual Rural Demonstration Project occurring April 7th through the 27th. Officers will join law enforcement across the state to conduct high-visibility patrols focused on encouraging drivers and passengers within Indiana’s rural counties, to buckle up.
“Wearing your seat belt is one of the most important things you can do to stay safe behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Trent Stouder. “Aiming our education and enforcement efforts toward those traveling on Indiana’s rural roadway is key to ensuring we have safe drivers in every county across the state.”
RDP is an annual traffic safety effort made possible through federal highway safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. During this three-week period, 34 local law enforcement agencies throughout the state will increase seat belt patrols in 16 of Indiana’s rural counties that are currently reporting the highest percentage of unrestricted fatalities.
According to ICJI, in 2015, approximately 517 drivers and passengers were killed on rural roadways, and statistics show Americans driving or riding on rural roadways face a much greater risk of being injured or killed that those driving or riding in urban or suburban areas. Further research shows pickup truck drivers and their occupants account for the lowest percentage of restraint use in the state with a 83.1 percent seat belt usage rate (among pickup truck drivers) compared to 94.8 percent seat belt usage rate among motorists is passenger motor vehicles, for 2015.
