“BUCKLE UP EVERY TRIP

EVERY TIME”

FOR RELEASE: November 21, 2008

CONTACT: Beth Player, 937-374-5665, bplayer@gcchd.org

Greene County Safe Communities Urges Motorists

To Buckle Up Every Trip, Every Time,

Thanksgiving Week

[Xenia, Ohio] – The Thanksgiving Weekend is one of the most heavily traveled during the year. This holiday should be a joyous time for all families in America, but far too often the celebration turns to tragedy on the nation’s highways. In Ohio, during the 2007 holiday season, there were 1,180 injuries and 17 fatalities on our roadways.

“I urge everyone driving on our state’s roads this holiday period to drive carefully, don’t drive impaired and, most importantly, buckle up each and every trip, night or day,” said Beth Player, Greene County Safe Communities.

Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, according to NHTSA. Research has shown that when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, 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.

“If you fail to buckle up during this holiday period, you run the risk of getting a ticket, or worse, getting killed or injured,” Player warned. “Make sure the only belt you unbuckle this Thanksgiving is the one at the dinner table, not the one in your vehicle.”

For more information about highway safety during Thanksgiving, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.