The Thanksgiving holiday marks the beginning of a busy season for motorists traveling around Vermont. In an effort to encourage safe travel for every trip, the Vermont Governor's Highway Safety Program is sponsoring a Holiday Click It or Ticket campaign.
Motorists in Vermont can expect to see an increased number of law enforcement officers on the roadways enforcing the occupant protection laws. The Highway Safety office manages federal funds allocated for vehicle occupant protection enforcement.
This year's campaign runs Wednesday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 30.
The increased volume of vehicles will include students returning home, families traveling to visit loved ones, shoppers, and daily traffic. Travelers should make sure that all occupants are using proper safety restraints while in their vehicles.
Seat belts and properly installed child passenger seats are your best protection in the event of a crash. Studies have found that many child passenger seats are not installed properly. If you need help with an installation call the Seat Smart hotline at 888-VMT-SEAT.
So far this year, more than 37 people have lost their lives on Vermont's roadways, authorities say. Nationally, 300 people were killed over this holiday in 2012, and nearly half of these victims were improperly restrained.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says research indicates that hundreds of people will suffer life-altering injuries on roadways across the nation in the few short days of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The law enforcement liaisons at the Governor's Highway Safety office stress that wearing safety belts, in conjunction with airbags, are the most important safety devices in the car. They ask that motorists take an extra moment to make sure all children, passengers and drivers in your vehicle are properly secured for a safe ride.