The Citrus County Sheriff's Office is teaming up with state law enforcement officers around the country to crack down on seatbelt violators through the holiday weekend.
he Click It or Ticket campaign has already begun and will run through Sunday, Nov. 30.
Sheriff Jeff Dawsy says the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest for travel with more vehicles on the road and a greater chance of accidents.
"The roads are a lot more dangerous, and it's as important as ever that everyone is buckled up. We want people to know that we're serious about this campaign, because we see the devastation first-hand when people fail to buckle up in a crash."
He said the Click It or Ticket campaign is a zero-tolerance crackdown that includes increased patrols day and night, targeting all unbuckled motorists.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research indicates that proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50 percent. In 2012, seat belts saved the lives of 12,174 passenger vehicle occupants. If seat belt use had been at 100 percent, an addition 3,031 people would still be alive this Thanksgiving.