Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and law enforcement works overtime through the holidays to ensure our safety on the roads. It’s thanks to them — and to you — that more children will make it home safely to share the joy of the holidays with their families. Because groups like yours have made a commitment to Operation ABC Mobilization: America Buckles Up Children, we’ve had incredible success saving children’s lives. But our work is not done.

Buckle Up America is the national movement to raise seat belt use to 85 percent and reduce child crash fatalities 15 percent by the year 2000 — and we’re well on our way to achieving that goal. Between 1996 when the Operation ABC Mobilization began and 1998, child fatalities in crashes decreased by 12.3 percent (Fatality Analysis Reporting System). In that same time period, child restraint use among toddlers has increased 30 percent – so that almost 90 percent of toddlers are now restrained. And the use of seat belts for children ages 5-15 has risen to almost 70 percent.

Overall, nineteen million more Americans buckled up in 1998 alone. If these millions of people continue to use seat belts and safety seats, an estimated 1,500 lives will be saved each year thanks to the efforts of law enforcement and dedicated child safety supporters like you. Just think how many more lives could be saved if everyone got involved in Operation ABC Mobilization and gave their "Endorsement for Enforcement."

We all need to actively support law enforcement in their ongoing work to insist on zero tolerance for unbuckled kids. Their determination to enforce child seat and belt laws saves children’s lives every day. Much of what they do goes unnoticed so, during this Thanksgiving week’s Operation ABC Mobilization (November 22-28), we should thank them for the lifesaving work they do by again sending them our "Endorsement for Enforcement." One simple way to do this is to send your local law enforcement agencies a letter demonstrating your appreciation and support.

Much of the success we’ve achieved is because of your efforts during past Operation ABC Mobilizations but we need you to renew your support so we keep saving lives. Even if you have participated before, you need to contact us by filling out the participation form at the back of this planner and faxing it in to us so you can be counted as part of the team this Thanksgiving.

We can’t forget that six out of ten children killed in crashes are completely unrestrained. Surveys by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlight a key factor in child passenger safety: when drivers are buckled, children riding with them are buckled 87 percent of the time. Likewise, when drivers aren’t buckled, the number of children riding with them who are also unrestrained mirrors the adult level, reaching 76 percent. To get children buckled, we must get everyone buckled up.

This fall’s Operation ABC Mobilization culminates on Thanksgiving weekend. NHTSA, in partnership with the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign and hundreds (if not thousands) of partners like you, will again be leading the charge through Operation ABC Mobilization. Law enforcement in every state will be out in force during the week to make sure everyone, especially children, is properly buckled up.