The Thanksgiving holiday centers round years of traditions that include: family, friends, gratitude, and food. It is also one of the busiest travel times of the year, which greatly increases the chances of being involved in a vehicle crash. Since Thanksgiving isn’t complete until all family and friends are safely seated around the dinner table, the Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition and local law enforcement agencies want to encourage you and all your vehicle passengers to buckle-up while traveling this Holiday Season.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency responsible for keeping people safe on America’s roadways, in 2018, there were 36,560 lives lost in motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, many of these lives were lost due to lack of proper seatbelt restraint. In fact according to their data, in 2017, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives. Remember, the simple act of buckling up could make the difference between life and death.
To reinforce the importance of buckling up this Thanksgiving, local law enforcement will be out educating the public with the message “Buckle-up. Every trip. Every Time”. The focus of this effort being to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on the roadways that occur when drivers, and passengers, fail to buckle up. According to Wyandot County Sheriff Mike Hetzel, “My deputies see the effects of unbuckled travel every day. The injuries, and sometimes loss of life, is tragic and yet, totally preventable. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be out in full force keeping the roads safe, especially at night when the roads are more deadly. Plain and simple: seat belts save lives. There are laws in place in the state of Ohio requiring the use of both seatbelts and car seats for children. If you are pulled over this holiday season and not properly restrained, expect a ticket.”
Wearing a seat belt is not a requirement in every state in the U.S. and yet, it remains the single most effective act that can prevent injury or death in a vehicle crash. Whether you’re going over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house this Thanksgiving or just down the street, remember to Buckle-up. Every trip. Every Time.
For more information about traveling safely this Thanksgiving, please visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/seat-belts/click-it-or-ticket/thanksgiving-weekend.
