‘Click it or ticket’

Buckle up, Culpeper.

That's what the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office is suggesting that local residents do during the Thanksgiving holiday whether they're driving across town or across the state.

As part of a special crackdown, Culpeper deputies will be enforcing the "Click it or ticket" campaign starting today until Nov. 25, according to Sheriff H. Lee Hart.

"It you are using your vehicle this Thanksgiving, whether it's a short trip to the grocery store, or a long haul across the state, if you aren't buckled up, you will get a ticket," Hart said. "Of course, you should buckle up every trip, every time, throughout the year, but this Thanksgiving you risk not only your life, but getting a ticket if you and your passengers aren't buckled up."

And the numbers don't lie. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 31,415 people nationwide died in crashes in 2005 and more than half, 16,172, were not wearing their seat belts.

"Had these people been buckled up, as many as half of them would be alive today to share this holiday season with their family and friends," according to the press release.

The Culpeper Sheriff's Office will also have additional deputies patrolling throughout the county from Wednesday to Friday specifically targeting occupant protection, speeding and alcohol-related offenses, according to the Sheriff.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .

Buckle up, arrive alive

Here are some seat-belt safety tips from the National Safety Council:

Kids ride in the back. Infants should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag. Children, typically ages 12 and under, also should ride buckled up in the back seat.

Child safety seats. Young children and infants should always ride in age- and size-appropriate child safety seats. The safety seat should be held properly in place by the vehicle's safety belts and the child should be correctly buckled in the child safety seat. A child who has outgrown a convertible child safety seat will need to ride in a booster seat for the vehicle's safety belts to fit properly.

Wear both lap and shoulder straps. The shoulder strap should cross the collarbone, and the lap belt should fit low and tight. The shoulder strap should never be slipped behind the back or under the arm - this is a dangerous habit, especially in cars with air bags.

Move the front seats back. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved as far back as possible, particularly for shorter people.