Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time

Here's a reminder for Thanksgiving travelers from the Barrington Police Department: Buckle up, every trip, every time.

The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the busiest travel times of the year, said Barrington Police Chief John LaCross.

And whether you're traveling across the country or just across town, one of the best ways to ensure a safe arrival is to wear your seat belt, he said.

“During the long Thanksgiving travel weekend, many more people than usual are on the roads visiting family and friends,” said LaCross. “And we want to alert everyone that perhaps the single best thing they can do to save lives and protect themselves and their passengers on our roadways is to insist on the regular and proper use of their seat belts.”  

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that seat belts saved more than 12,500 lives nationwide during 2010 alone.

In fact, research shows that 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, when seat beats are worn correctly, said LaCross.

Yet, he said, "Too many people are still not getting the message. Fifty-one percent of the 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes during 2010 were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.

“It’s a simple step that each of us can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  Yet, too many people are still not buckling up -- especially in the hustle and bustle of holiday travel,” said LaCross.