GARNER—The first “Operation Crash Reduction” aims to save lives during one of the deadliest weekends on the road. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program and other North Carolina law enforcement is particularly encouraging seatbelt safety through October 14.

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Columbus Day Weekend follows only that of July 4^th in terms of fatal vehicle crash numbers, as drivers are often on their way to football games, fairs, and other fall festivities. Research has also revealed that the Southeast United States records more traffic fatalities than any other region. According to FARS, of the 3,300 fatal crashes in the Southeast from 2013-2017, a third of them involved a lack of seatbelt use.

Director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program Mark Ezzell says that “seatbelt safety is a cultural issue and we need every person who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle to understand that driving safely could mean saving their own lives and those around them.”

To promote seatbelt safety, “Operation Crash Reduction” is encouraging North Carolinians to illustrate their priority of safety by taking a photo of themselves and passengers safely buckled in before taking off. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program is requesting drivers to tag @NC_GHSP in their photos and post them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to encourage seatbelt safety throughout the state.