With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program is reminding travelers to buckle their seatbelts.

“The risk of being involved in a serious or deadly car crash increases when the number of cars on the road increases, and the long Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year,” said Mary Davison, traffic safety information specialist. “So we want to remind everyone that your seat belts can save your life – and those you are traveling with.”

Seat belts saved almost 12,000 lives nationwide in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Research shows that with proper seat belt use, the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.

During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday season, 249 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. Fifty percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

“We want to remind everyone who will be on the roads to please buckle up - every trip, every time - so you can give thanks this holiday season and enjoy the time with your loved ones.”

For more information contact Mary Davison at 379-2306 or mdavison@stlawco.org.