With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, law enforcement agencies throughout the state plan to step up enforcement on aggressive and impaired drivers who pose a danger to innocent travelers.
Motorists who refuse to wear seatbelts will also be the subject of citations, officials said.
With safety in mind, the 2012 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign began Sunday and will continue through Dec. 4.
This mobilization will serve as the kickoff to Pennsylvania's Operation Safe Holiday campaign that will focus on occupant protection as well as aggressive and impaired driving.
This year's campaign will include more than 600 participating law enforcement agencies statewide working to reduce the number of unbelted crashes, injuries and deaths on Pennsylvania roadways.
In conjunction with the Click It or Ticket campaign, troopers throughout the state will offer free child safety seat inspections.
"Vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death, with most fatalities being attributed to unbelted motorists," state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said in a release. "With heavy traffic expected for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it's crucial that we encourage drivers now to make sure that all passengers are properly restrained whenever they travel."
During the Thanksgiving holiday, troopers will also conduct traffic safety checkpoints to educate the public about traffic laws, focusing enforcement efforts in areas with traditionally high numbers of crashes.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the state's current seat belt usage rate is slightly under 84 percent.
"Again this year, I'm directing our troopers to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violations of the state's seat belt and child passenger restraint laws during this campaign period," Noonan said. "However, no enforcement will be taken against anyone at the free safety seat inspection sites if the seat is found to be incorrectly installed."
Aggressive driving and driving while impaired will not be tolerated, state police officials said. With construction work still under way on Interstate 81 and other roads across the county, troopers will be watching for impatient drivers and those speeding through the reduced speed areas.
The Buckle Up PA group reported that campaigns such as the Thanksgiving operation are successful, with statistics showing that the number of fatalities decreased in Pennsylvania in 2011.
There were 1,286 traffic-related deaths reported last year, down from 1,324 in 2010.
Good news was also reported regarding nighttime belt use.
State Department of Transportation statistics show the number of unbelted fatalities at night dropped to 238 in 2011, down from 350 in 2010.
Due to the large amount of unbuckled crashes occurring at night, agencies will conduct at least 75 percent of their enforcement activities at night, officials said.
With Thanksgiving normally the heaviest traveled holiday period of the year, state police stressed the importance of driving sober, safe and belted.
Locally, the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program announced that Roving DUI Patrols and Sobriety Checkpoints will be conducted now through Nov. 25 along area roadways.
The North Central Regional program works with municipal law enforcement agencies in Schuylkill, Berks, Columbia, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder and Union counties.
Anyone who may come in contact with an impaired driver should call 911 immediately while those wishing to report incidents of underage drinking can call 1-888-UNDER21.