Arkansas City, AR- This Thanksgiving holiday, The Desha County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a high-visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt awareness campaign.
November 25 th through December 1st, the law enforcement community will be working together to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up. If they spot an unbelted driver, they will pull the driver over and issue a ticket.
During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2022 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 28), there were 326 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation, and 43% (141) were unrestrained. Not wearing a seat belt proved to be deadly at any time of the day during the holiday weekend: 47% of those killed in nighttime crashes were unbuckled, and 38% of those killed in daytime crashes also were unbuckled.
These deaths represent needless tragedies for families across America and may have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.
“Buckle your seat belt to stay safe and to stay legal,” said Sheriff Mitch Grant. “Whether you’re driving cross-country or across the street, whether it is day or night, and no matter the type of vehicle, it is essential that both drivers and passengers wear a seat belt. The bottom line is this: That seat belt may very well mean the difference between life and death. This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, remember: Click It or Ticket.”
In Arkansas, the law requires all front seat passengers, and any passenger less than 15 years of age to be buckled up. Children less than six years old, or who weigh less than 60 pounds, must be in a child safety restraint.
For more information about traveling safely this Thanksgiving, please visit
www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts.
