With summer over and school back in session, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is reminding motorists to drive safe this fall and save a life by buckling up and slowing down on Delaware roadways.

What you need to know

Did you know that Delaware crash data for this year suggests that speed and improper seat belt use are major contributors in the number of fatalities this year? And the numbers are up. It’s mid-October, and the number of traffic deaths this year has already exceeded the total number of people killed last year on Delaware roadways.

From January 1 through October 17, there have been 102 traffic fatalities in Delaware.

• Sixty seven (67) were vehicle occupants. 42% were not wearing a seat belt.
• Aggressive driving behaviors, like speeding, contributed to 37% of the crashes to date this year.
• In 2013, 40% of the unbelted crashes happened on a Saturday or Sunday.  Saturday is also the most common day for speed-related fatal crashes and Friday has the highest number of speed-related injury crashes.

What you can do

Even one life lost on our roadways is one too many. In an effort to prevent more deaths, OHS has put a new campaign in place that will focus on proper seat belt use and slowing down.

Campaign dates: October 3^rd – 26^th and November 26^th – December 31^st.

• Enforcement:   Police will be looking for speeding drivers and anyone unrestrained or improperly restrained in vehicles. Remember, for a seat belt to be effective and save a life, it must be worn properly with the lap belt low and snug across the hips and the shoulder harness worn across the shoulder and chest with minimal slack.
• Public outreach: OHS has launched a contest on the OHS Facebook page www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE to engage the public about buckling up and slowing down. There will be one puzzle per week during October and December with weekly prizes, including an AAA membership and a guided tour of Dover Air Force Base’s AMC Museum.

For more information, visit www.ohs.delaware.gov. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

Drive Safe. Arrive Alive DE.

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