Governor’s Office of Highway safety announces ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign during Thanksgiving travel

Thanksgiving week is underway, and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety wants to ensure you have a safe trip on the road.

MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT)— Thanksgiving week is underway, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety wants to ensure you have a safe trip on the road.

With 48 million people hitting the road this year and 1.6 million of those Georgians, safety is a top priority this week.

That’s why the ‘Click or Ticket’ campaign is back in full swing.

“Last year we had the highest vehicle fatality rate in the past seven years,” Allen Poole, the Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said. According to Allen Poole, there will be a bigger police presence this year.

He says the goal is to prevent crashes and save lives.

“They will be looking for speeders, distracted, impaired, and unbelted drivers,” he said. “If you’re pulled over by an officer, expect to be given a ticket, because  you get no warning.”

They also want to make sure everyone in your vehicle is properly secured.

One Bibb County deputy shared his story on how a seat belt ultimately saved his life.

“During a high speed pursuit, a vehicle turned left in front of me causing me to strike that vehicle,” Sgt. Andrae Holmes said. “I then went off road, hit a fire hydrant and then landed in a school yard.”

Holmes says he’s grateful to have been wearing his seat belt and wants to make sure everyone else is also buckled up.

If you’re traveling this week, officers say you should be aware of your surroundings and always stay alert.