The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and the chances of being involved in a vehicle crash are greatly increased during this time. Law enforcement wants everyone to get to the Thanksgiving table safely this year, so it is critical to practice safe driving habits, like buckling seat belts. During this holiday, the Sandersville Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety on a high-visibility “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign that is running from Wednesday, November 25 through Sunday, November 29 to work toward reducing the number of fatalities that occur when drivers and passengers fail to buckle up. If they spot offenders, they will pull them over and issue a ticket.
In 2019, during the 102 hours long Thanksgiving holiday travel period in the state of Georgia that began at 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday November 27, and ended at 11:59 P.M. on Sunday, December 1, 556 traffic crashes resulted in 214 injuries with 12 fatalities and 325 people arrested for driving under the influence. Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective thing anyone can do to prevent injury or death in a vehicle crash. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign combines powerful messages about seat belt safety with increased patrolling for all unbuckled motorists. Georgia’s seat belt usage rate for last year was 95.9 %.
“Sandersville Police personnel see the effects of unbuckled driving every day. It leads to tragic and preventable injuries and losses of life,” said Captain Kelly Collins of the Sandersville Police Department. “Whether you are driving cross-country or across the street, you must wear your seat belt. The bottom line is that a seat belt may very well mean the difference between life and death. This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, remember to click it or get a ticket.”
In Georgia, law requires children under the age of 8 to be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat while riding in passenger automobiles, vans, and pickup trucks. Children over the age of 8 to adulthood should use seat belts. The back seat is the safest position for children 12 years old and under. Violations for unsecured children under the age of 8 include a first time conviction of $50 with second and subsequent convictions of $100. Additionally, for a first conviction , one point will be assessed against a violator’s driver’s license with second and subsequent convictions adding two points. For children ages 8 through 17, a $25 fine is assessed. If an individual is over the age of 18, the cost is $15.