Many area law enforcement agencies will participate in the Click it or Ticket seat belt campaign this Thanksgiving holiday.
News releases note Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and seat belts help save lives.
During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday period, 249 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes nationwide. Fifty percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts, according to statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Seat belts saved almost 12,000 lives nationwide in 2011, according to studies. Research shows that with proper seat belt use, the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent. In 2011, 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes did not wear seat belts at the time of the crash.
Law enforcement representatives say they will have zero tolerance and will cite anyone not wearing a seat belt.