Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and Nascar Driver Ross Chastain Promote Seat Belt Use At Watkins Glen International
Chastain and GTSC Partnership Marks 8th Year of Promoting Seat Belt Safety
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) is teaming up with NASCAR/DGM Racing Xfinity driver, Ross Chastain to remind New Yorkers to buckle up, every trip, every time. Chastain will be meeting with fans on Thursday, August 7, 2025, in Watkins Glen. Chastain will join the GTSC at the Schuyler County Courthouse to promote the importance of seat belt use through the “Protect Your Melon” campaign.
Fans will have two opportunities to get autographs and meet Chastain. The NASCAR driver will make an appearance on the lawn of the Schuyler County Courthouse on Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and again at 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Chastain will also be at the Department of Motor Vehicles booth at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, August 10 at 11:15 a.m. for a brief appearance.
GTSC “Protect Your Melon” and “Buckle Up New York” campaigns aim to educate New Yorkers about the significant role seat belts have in preventing injuries and deaths in crashes.
“Ross Chastain knows firsthand how important seatbelt use is,” said Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles and GTSC Chair. “The partnership we have with Ross and the Protect Your Melon campaign increases in popularity each year, which shows that the message to buckle up is reaching a broad audience. With his fan base growing and his continued commitment to this cause, the importance of seatbelt restraint use is taking a front seat in keeping New Yorkers safe.”
NASCAR driver Ross Chastain said, “The Protect Your Melon program, along with the work of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee is helping keep all New Yorkers safe through the encouragement of seatbelt use. Our partnership helps bring attention to the importance of highway safety and how the simple act of buckling up and obeying traffic laws can save lives across the state.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on average, someone who is not wearing a seat belt dies in a car crash every 47 minutes in this country. NHTSA data shows that if you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of fatal injury by 45 percent. Data from the New York State Department of Health shows that people who aren’t wearing seat belts are also five times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury.
New York was the first state in the nation to pass legislation requiring drivers and front-seat passengers to use seat belts. In 2020 the seat belt law was strengthened to require everyone in passenger vehicles, regardless of where they sit, to wear a seat belt or be properly restrained in a child safety seat.
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The risk of severe injury and death in car crashes increases significantly when motorists and passengers do not wear their seat belts and obey the speed limit. Seat belts are not an option in New York, and it takes only a few seconds to buckle up and check child safety restraints. The New York State Police and our law enforcement partners asks everyone to be secure in their vehicle, arrive at their destination safely, and not be involved in a tragic event.”
James Quattrone, Chautauqua County Sheriff and President of the NYS Sheriffs’ Association said, “The easiest thing drivers can do to avoid a crash is obey the speed limits. The simplest thing everyone can do to reduce injuries in a crash is to wear a seat belt. So, unless you are competing on a racetrack, slow down. When you are in your vehicle…always wear your seat belt, just like the professional race car drivers do. The Sheriffs of New York State want you to enjoy summer and Protect Your Melon by wearing a seat belt and obeying the speed limits.”
Chief Paul Oliva, Mount Pleasant Police Department and New York State Assn. of Chiefs of Police President said, “The New York State Association of Chiefs of Police fully supports the GTSC’s Protect Your Melon campaign, a public education effort to encourage wearing seatbelts in motor vehicles. Wearing a seatbelt while traveling in a motor vehicle, driving and riding at safe speeds, and protecting you head with a helmet, are simple actions that can prevent life-altering injuries."
About GTSC
Combined with education and enforcement campaigns, GTSC coordinates various traffic safety activities throughout the year, and supports ongoing initiatives to improve pedestrian, motorcycle and bicycle safety. The GTSC also sponsors critical training for law enforcement, provides resources for teen drivers and their parents, and promotes seat belt use statewide.
For more information about traffic safety in New York State, please visit the GTSC website and follow the conversation on Facebook, X and Instagram.