SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Compared to this time last year, traffic deaths in Iowa are now on the decline, and the Iowa State Patrol wants that trend to continue.

So far, there have been 308 traffic fatalities in the state of Iowa. Last year during the week of Thanksgiving, 34 people were either seriously injured or killed in a car crash, and 40 percent of those were not wearing seat belts. The Iowa State Patrol has now come up with a theme to try and help minimize potential accidents from occurring: “S.I.D.E.”

“S, Seat belt; I, Impaired driving; D, Distracted driving; E, Excessive speed,” trooper Jay Kirkpatrick said. “If we can wear our seat belt, if we can slow down, if we can give ourselves more time, if we can take away distractions, whether that be a phone or dogs in the car or animals or kids or whatever. Whatever the distraction is, if we can remove that, we’re gonna save lives.”

Trooper Kirkpatrick also added to avoid using cruise control when it’s snowing or icy to keep your car from spinning out of control.