KY Office of Highway Safety reminding holiday travelers to wear seat belts

FRANKFORT, KY (KFVS) - The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) is joining in a national effort to remind Thanksgiving travelers to buckle up – every trip, every time.

Last year in Kentucky during the Thanksgiving holiday there were 1,645 crashes resulting in 480 injuries and eight fatalities.

Six of those fatalities were in motor vehicles and three were not wearing a seat belt.

One of the fatalities was riding a motorcycle and the other was a pedestrian.

Seat belt usage rate in Kentucky increased with the passage of the primary law from 67.2% in 2006 to 86.5 % this year.

However, that is still slightly below the national usage rate of 88.5%.

So far this year 50% of the 686 motor vehicle fatalities were not restrained.

"The upcoming holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year, so we're asking motorists to always wear a seat belt," said KOHS Executive Director Dr. Noelle Hunter.  "If you are properly restrained, your risk of injury or death is greatly reduced."

"As we reflect on gratitude during this season of Thanksgiving, we asked fellow Kentuckians to share why they are thankful for their seat belt," said Hunter.  "These are actual examples of lives saved just by taking a few seconds to buckle up."

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