The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the busiest for Arkansas motorists and out of state travelers.  During the upcoming week-long holiday travel period, the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office will join with other state and local officers nationwide to ensure drivers obey the rules of the road and motorists are buckled-up in their seat belts.

     Motor vehicle crashes nationwide during the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday reporting period resulted in 337 passenger vehicle occupants being killed.  A staggering 55 percent of the fatality victims were not wearing seat belts.  In Arkansas during the same Thanksgiving period in 2010, 7 people lost their lives and 57 percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

     The Sheriff’s Office will place additional deputies on the roadways during the Thanksgiving holiday period.  The national mobilization effort directed at seat belt violators begins November 19^th and will continue through November 25^th. 

     Buckling up is simple and it’s a proven life saver, but it is often forgotten during the hustle and bustle of holiday travel.  The Sheriff’s Office encourages motorists year round to practice safe driving habits which begin with buckling up before they leave the driveway. 

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff