ATLANTA – Authorities statewide are cracking down of motorists who aren’t wearing seat belts as part of the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign that runs through Thanksgiving weekend.
“There’s no doubt that safety belts save lives,” Bob Dallas, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said in a news release. “But throughout Georgia, unbuckled drivers and their passengers are still paying the ultimate price for refusing or forgetting to take the mere seconds needed to buckle-up. And all it takes is another few seconds for them to lose their life in an unbuckled traffic crash.”
Following an “observational survey” this summer, Georgia authorities believe 90 percent of Georgia drivers and passengers use seat belts or child safety seats.
“Georgia’s high-profile seatbelt patrols and road checks are having a measurable effect on safety belt use,” Dallas said. “Taking two seconds to buckle-up can save your life or the life of a loved one. It’s still your best defense against a crash with a drunk driver this holiday.”
During the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 12 people were killed on highways statewide, according to the Georgia State Patrol. An additional 730 were injured.
“Seat belts are about lives saved and family tragedies prevented. Officers are saving the lives of fellow Georgians every time they cite drivers for unbuckled seatbelts or child safety seats,” Dallas said. “If we can all help prevent or reduce the heartbreaking calls and visits made by police to the families of crash victims this Thanksgiving, we will make a real difference in the future of our communities.”
The “Click It or Ticket” campaign kicked off Nov. 15 and runs through the holiday weekend.
Thanksgiving travel this year is expected to increase 11.4 percent nationwide, according to AAA.