The Richland County Safe Communities Coalition says there was one traffic death locally in October.

There have been 12 traffic-related deaths this year in Richland County.

With many people traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is using the month of November as a friendly reminder for everyone to buckle up each and every trip, day or night.

Nationally, during the Thanksgiving period of 2010, 55-percent of the passenger vehicle occupants who died in motor vehicle accidents were not wearing a safety belt.

The majority of those vehicle accident deaths happened at night.

"To lose a loved one is a terrible thing to experience, especially during America's familty holiday, but to lose one's life when it might have been saved by taking a couple of seconds to buckle a seat belt is truly a preventable tragedy," said Selby Dorgan, Manager of Health Education/Promotions at the Mansfield, Ontario, Richland County Health Department and coordinator of the Richland County Safe Communities Coalition.

The Richland County Safe Communities Coalition program was developed through the Ohio Department of Public Safety to establish and/or expand community partnerships to create safer, healthier communities throughout Ohio.