GOODY, Ky. — Members of the Belfry Fire Department and the Pike County Sheriff's Department greeted McDonald's drive-thru customers for lunchtime Tuesday. The officers and firemen along with all McDonald's restaurants in the tri-state area were participating in the Buckle Up America campaign to promote seatbelt safety.

"Seat belts save lives," said Fire Chief Nee Jackson. "I've been in the fire service for 30 years and I've never had to cut a seat belt off of a dead person. I've seen a lot of lives saved by seat belts."

The emergency service personnel gave out brochures rather than tickets during the campaign. Drivers who were buckled up received coupons for free food from McDonald's.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009 West Virginia had a total of 41,476 crashes, 17,825 injuries, and 356 fatalities. Kentucky had 126,438 crashes, 37,461 injuries, and 356 fatalities in 2009. Ohio had 290,651 crashes, 105,418 injuries, and 1,023 fatalities on their roads during 2009. Kentucky had the lowest seat belt usage rate of the tri-state area with 80 percent and West Virginia had the highest usage rate with 87 percent of drivers buckling up.