News : Roadside Chat – Do you even wear your seat belt bro?

Young adults and teens are the source of all kinds of pop culture trends including memes that seem to take on a life of their own. One such meme that has crawled out of the fitness message boards of the early 2000s to today's social media feeds features the phrase "Do you even lift, Bro?" The meme is a condescending implication that someone is weak. A simple weakness that too many people show in their driving behavior, especially teens, is not wearing their seat belt.

We are coming to the end of Teen Driver Safety Week. If you have a young driver in your circle of loved ones we encourage you to use Teen Driver Safety Week as an opportunity to talk to them about the rules of the road:

1. Buckle up - every trip, every time. Make sure they know that the car doesn't move until everyone has clicked their belt.
2. No drinking or drugs. Not only is it illegal, but even small amounts of these substances can impair your ability to easily carry out the complex task of driving.
3. Ditch the distractions. Driving is the first and only task when behind the wheel. Distraction not only includes texting, but also talking on the phone, eating, drinking, fixing your hair or makeup, or even interacting with others in the vehicle with you.
4. Limit extra passengers. According to AAA, a 16 or 17-year-old driver's risk of death increases by 44% when carrying one passenger, doubles when carrying two passengers, and quadruples when carrying three or more passengers younger than 21.
5. Ease up on the speed. The faster you go the less time you have to react if you need to avoid a crash. Add a teen's inexperience to the mix and speed can spell disaster for a young driver.
6. Be well-rested before hopping behind the wheel. Between their studies, extra-curricular activities, jobs, and an active social life, teens are often sleep-deprived. Driving while drowsy slows your thought process and reaction time and can affect your judgment and even vision.

Make sure the teens (and everyone) in your life understand the seriousness of the task of driving. After all, poor driving choices can carry consequences ranging from having to bum rides from mom or dad to never returning home to those you love.

Here's a little tongue-in-cheek video that can help answer the question "Do you even lift, bro?"

In 2024 in Iowa, 279 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That's an increase of 18 since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf