Traffic crackdown targets child safety

This Thanksgiving holiday, Carson City's finest will be plucking drivers who don't buckle up their children.

The Carson City Sheriff's Department will be joining a nationwide crackdown this week on drunken drivers and drivers carrying unrestrained children. Through added manpower, officers will be targeting areas that are hot spots for drunk drivers.

"Officers are going to be working overtime, focusing on certain areas," said Sgt. Wade Penegor. "A ticket for failing to restrain a child is a $50 infraction with a $25 administration fee."

Failing to restrain a child under 5 years old or under 40 pounds is a primary violation in Nevada, which means officers can pull over drivers for those citations.

Penegor said he could not disclose where officers will be conducting the traffic stops, although he did say there will not be checkpoints.

Operation ABC Mobilization runs twice yearly. It was started to educate the public about the danger of drunken driving as it relates to children who are not in safety seats. According to the department, 2,000 children are killed nationwide every year in traffic accidents, the number one cause of death for children. One-fourth of those fatalities are related to drunken driving, most often by the driver transporting the children.

If a driver transporting children is suspected to be drunk, he or she can also be cited for child endangerment.