The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia will once again be taking part in the annual Thanksgiving seatbelt awareness campaign across the country. Click It or Ticket runs during the Thanksgiving period. It is targeted at reducing injuries and fatalities which can be prevented by the wearing of a seatbelt.
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times for travel during the year and the likelihood of getting involved in a car accident is higher than normal. GOHS revealed that between 6 p.m. on November 22, 2017 and 5:50 on November 27, 365 people lost their lives in traffic accidents nationwide. Nighttime travel turned out to be more deadly since it accounted for 57 percent of the crashes which took place during the Thanksgiving travel period.
The next year, between 6 p.m. on November 22 and 11:59 p.m. on November 25, 15 people died in Georgia. State Patrol issued 11, 523 citations and 17,046 warnings and arrested 339 people for driving while under the influence. GOHS said the best defense against careless drivers was wearing a seatbelt.
Buckling up can be especially helpful for individuals in the front seat of a passenger car. Seatbelts can lower the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent. They also reduce the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent. Furthermore, wearing a seatbelt in a light truck can reduce the risk of fatal injury by as much as 60 percent and lowers the likelihood of moderate to critical injury by 65 percent.
Meanwhile, new seatbelt laws could be coming to Georgia. Ahead of the new legislative session, a state senate study committee is considering expanding the state’s seatbelt regulations to include backseat passengers. Currently, only children are required to use seatbelts when they sit in the backseat.
The committee will present the final report on December 1. If you need legal help, contact us for help today.
