“State Troopers Will Strictly Enforce Seat Belt Usage In Click It or Ticket Campaign”
Nashville, TN – With millions of Americans hitting the roads this holiday season, the Tennessee Highway Patrol will be kicking up its Thanksgiving Day enforcement from 6:00pm, Wednesday, November 24th through midnight Sunday, November 28th. State Troopers, who will also be conducting a 12-hour “C.A.R.E. Across Tennessee” campaign from 6:00am to 6:00pm on November 24th, have a message for motorists traveling through the state – “Let your little light shine.”
To participate in the C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Enforcement) safe driving campaign, drivers are encouraged to travel with their headlights on to indicate their commitment for safe driving, seat belt usage, and traffic law compliance. In addition, State Troopers will be assigned to every 10-mile stretch of road on both the eastbound and westbound lanes of travel on Interstate 40.
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Although safety belt usage climbed to 87 percent in 2010, more than 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in Tennessee traffic crashes were not wearing a safety belt in 2009. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on any given day about 38 passenger vehicle occupants who are not buckled up are killed in motor vehicle crashes. Research shows that it is almost nine times safer to wear your safety belt every time you get in the car.
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“Our C.A.R.E. campaign and holiday enforcement is a chance for motorists to stand in solidarity with us by turning on their headlights to send a strong message that if you are not wearing a seatbelt, or driving aggressively or drunk, and displaying a total disregard for the law and human life, will not be tolerated,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott. “We want everyone traveling through Tennessee and beyond to get to their destination safely.”
Ten people were killed in eight fatal crashes on Tennessee roads during the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday, 102-hour period. That is the same number as 2008 and fewer than the 13 people who died in 2007. Five of the seven vehicle occupants who were killed during the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend were not wearing safety restraints.
NHTSA statistics show that those least likely to buckle up are teens; young adults; males; nighttime riders; motorists traveling on rural roads; and individuals traveling in pickup trucks. In 2009 alone, over 11,500 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants lost their lives on U.S. roadways.
“The ultimate goal is to boost seat belt usage and save lives,” added Colonel Trott. “Don’t let this joyful holiday turn into a tragedy by failing to buckle up – Click it or Ticket.”
Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, according to NHTSA. Research has shown that when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.
As of November 18th, preliminary statistics indicate that 934 people have died on Tennessee roadways in 2010, an increase of 61 deaths compared to 873 fatalities at this same time a year ago. Statewide, fatalities are up this year after a year in 2009 when fatalities fell to their lowest level since 1963. Many of the deaths could have easily been prevented by simply buckling a seatbelt.
“All it takes is a couple of seconds to buckle your seatbelt,” said Kendell Poole, Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. “If people would take this one simple and easy step before they get in a vehicle, Tennessee fatalities could be reduced significantly.”
Statistics for the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday period are included with this release along with a list of sobriety and driver license checkpoints scheduled throughout the holiday weekend.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.TN.Gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.