(Submitted by Safe Communities of Wood County)
This Thanksgiving weekend, millions will hit the roads, eager to spend time with family and friends. This Thanksgiving, Safe Communities is teaming up with the U.S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on high-visibility Click It or Ticket campaign to work toward reducing the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up.
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. With millions of Americans on the road en route to visit friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday, it is more essential than ever to ensure all vehicle passengers are buckled up. With more vehicles on the roads, the chances of being involved in a vehicle crash increase greatly.
For this reason, law enforcement will be patrolling the streets, looking for unbuckled passengers. If they spot you, they will pull you over and issue a ticket.
During the 2016 Thanksgiving weekend (6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, to 5:59 a.m. Monday, Nov. 28), 341 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide. Tragically, 49 percent of those killed were unbuckled, representing a decrease in seat belt use compared to the same weekend in 2015, when 52 percent of those killed in traffic crashes were unrestrained.
Nighttime proved even more deadly, with 55 percent of Thanksgiving weekend crashes occurring at night. Much like drunk driving, these deaths represent needless tragedies for families across America. These deaths could have been completely prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.
“We hope Thanksgiving only brings happy memories for our community member, but sadly we suffer from vehicle crash-related losses each year, and many are a result of drivers and passenger refusing to buckle up,” said Sandy Wiechman. “Nearly half of all drivers and passengers killed in crashed on Thanksgiving weekend 2016 were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crash. This statistic is just unacceptable when we know that seat belt use is one of the simplest ways to stay
safe while riding in a vehicle.”
“Every day, we see the effects of unbuckled vehicle crashes. Whether you’re driving cross-country or across the street, you must wear your seat belt. This Thanksgiving and every day of the year remember: Click It or Ticket.”
