The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and with thousands of Oregonians hitting the road to travel long or short distances, the Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation want to remind all travelers to buckle up, every trip, every time.

Its no secret that more people than usual are on the roads visiting family and friends during these major holiday weekends, said Captain Ted Phillips, director of the OSP Patrol Services Division. And because there will be more travelers and the potential for more traffic crashes occurring, we want everyone to remember that perhaps the single best thing they can do to save lives and protect themselves and their passengers is to regularly and properly use their safety restraints.

The Thanksgiving holiday period is the longest major holiday period of the year, covering 102 hours from 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 21, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25.

Since 1970, nearly 240 people have died on Oregon roads during the Thanksgiving holiday period, including three traffic deaths during last years holiday period in 3 separate traffic crashes in Benton, Malheur and Multnomah counties. Two of the 3 victims were not using safety restraints.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday, 337 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, and 55 percent of those were unrestrained at the time of the crash. Overnight hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) prove to be the most dangerous on our nations roadways because safety belt use is lower. During the 2010 holiday period, 64 percent of nighttime fatalities involved unbelted vehicle occupants, while 41 percent of daytime fatalities involved unbelted occupants.

Carla Levinski, ODOTs Occupant Protection Program Manager, reminds adults that Oregon law requires safety belts be used properly, meaning wearing both lap and shoulder belts as intended, and urged parents to know the benefits of booster seat use over adult safety belts for young children.

Every day of the year, but especially during more dangerous travel times like the Thanksgiving holiday and at nighttime, police and transportation safety advocates are working hard to remind everyone to always buckle up, said Levinski. Safety belts and child safety seats save lives, so please use them every trip, every time, so you can enjoy the time you spend with your loved ones this holiday season.

In addition to travel safety reminders – Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober / Save Lives – that ODOT will display on Permanent Variable Message Signs along several major highways during the holiday weekend, OSP, Oregon State Sheriffs Association, Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, and ODOT remind travelers of these important safety tips:

Drive according to conditions. If its wet, icy, snowy or foggy, slow down and increase your following distance behind other vehicles to at least a four-second distance. Keep in mind that conditions may not be perfect to drive at the posted speed. Dont use cruise control in wet, icy, snowy or foggy conditions.

Use headlights even in daylight.

Be patient with all the other traffic on the highways.

Watch out for pedestrians now that the days are shorter and darker, and remember theyre often in dark clothing.

If you get tired or drowsy, stop and rest during your trip or get a rested and sober licensed driver behind the wheel.

There are still many construction zones on our highways, and even though work will be inactive over the holiday weekend there may be equipment, detours, and incomplete changes in the roadway. Stay alert and slow down because all work zone speed limits still apply and fines increase in these areas.

Dont drink and drive or get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.