SYRACUSE -- State Police have a simple message for drivers when it comes to wearing their seat belts:  Click it or ticket.

Police kicked off their annual "Buckle Up New York" campaign Monday. State Police will be out in force at checkpoints across Syracuse and Central New York through Thanksgiving.

Trooper Jack Keller says seat belts save lives and everyone in the car needs to be wearing one. "Those parents who don't check to make sure there children are buckled up when they get in an accident they are getting injured. Some of them are getting injured by their own people in the car because they are not belted in," he says.

State Police issued more than 19,000 tickets during last year's "Buckle Up New York," campaign. This year State Police are also looking for drivers who may be talking or texting on their cell phones while driving. Keller says despite the laws, distracted drivers, continue to be a problem.

"Anytime you take your eyes off the road it is a danger to yourself and others," he says.

The "Buckle Up New York" campaign runs through Thanksgiving.