Law enforcement authorities in Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin are participating in a regional crackdown on holiday motorists who violate seat belt and other traffic safety laws.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Midwest administrator, Michael Witter, says the effort is focusing on nighttime hours from Tuesday through this weekend and has a simple goal: to save lives.

He says officers don’t enjoy writing tickets, but it’s far worse to have to notify next of kin after a fatal crash.