The next special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) wave is upon us, and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau warns motorists that law enforcement will be cracking down on seatbelt violations over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Perry Police Department, as well as the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement entities will all be taking part, in an effort to reduce vehicle fatalities at a time when there is a lot more traffic on the roads. Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn explains, “So what we do is, we get extra money (and) overtime to enforce traffic laws. And one of those big things is seatbelt violations, and make sure to try to increase the rate at which people are using seatbelts.”

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Thanksgiving weekend has a long history of increased traffic fatalities, and the vast majority of them would have been avoided if passengers were wearing seatbelts. Vaughn is hopeful with an increase in police presence this week, people will be more encouraged to buckle up.