DES MOINES, Iowa - A statewide push in Iowa is focusing on seatbelt violations and drunk driving on St. Patrick's Day.
The campaign's being led by the State Patrol and Department of Transportation, but also includes Iowa State University and AAA of Iowa/Minnesota.
Wednesday's St. Patrick's Day effort is the first of four waves this year to focus on drunk and distracted driving as well as speeding.
It also marks the beginning of a year-long campaign to reduce traffic fatalities, which have totaled more than 300 every year in Iowa since 1925.
A total of eight groups have formed the Iowa Traffic Fatality Reduction Task Force to focus on enforcement, engineering, and education to reduce the number of traffic fatalities.
The four enforcement waves are being identified around the most unlucky and deadly times of the year on Iowa’s roadways.
The enforcement waves include:
- March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) - Focusing on seatbelt and impaired driving.
- June 9-12 (Father’s Day) Focusing on impaired driving.
- September 16 - Focusing on excessive speeding.
- October 2-4 - Focusing on distracted driving.