(CNSNews.com) - The Libertarian Party says the government's Thanksgiving crackdown on those who neglect seat belts for their kids is a waste of police resources.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is asking more than 10,000 police departments in all 50 states to use roadblocks, checkpoints and unmarked patrol cars to check for seat belt violators. The program is called Operation ABC Mobilization, America Buckles Up Children.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is cooperating with the NTSB in the project.

Tim Hurd, spokesman for the NHTSA said, This is the yearly effort to keep people safe on the roads during the holiday travel season. The number one cause of death for younger people in the United States is motor vehicle crashes and this is a cooperative effort of police officers around the country in making sure that people wear their seatbelts and buckle up their children.

The NHTSA said the same program three years ago forced 19 million more Americans to buckle up their seat belts. If these millions of people continue to use seatbelts, an estimated 1,500 lives will be saved each year, the NHTSA reports.

The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, a branch of the National Safety Council, predicts that 532 people will die and 28,000 others will be seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is one of the most dangerous travel holidays; this year will be no different, the organization said.

The use of a seatbelt enables you to survive half the crashes that would otherwise kill you. It is extremely important to wear your seatbelt, Hurd said. With an infant, the infant seat can save the life of a child in three out of four crashes that would otherwise be fatal. Unfortunately, there will be motor vehicle fatalities this Thanksgiving weekend and we want to keep that number as small as possible.

However, the Libertarian Party says the program is misguided, especially at this time.

The federal government has warned us that murderous terrorists could strike again at any time. So why are police resources being diverted to stop, harass, ticket or arrest ordinary Americans who forget to wear a seatbelt? Steve Dasbach, the party's national director, asked.

It is an absolute outrage that at a time when terrorists have killed 5,000 Americans - and threaten to kill more - the highest priority of law enforcement seems to be setting up random checkpoints in all 50 states to crack down on seatbelt violators, Dasbach said.

The Libertarian Party believes that while police are launching the massive effort to arrest or ticket Americans for not wearing a seatbelt, millions of law-abiding motorists will be inconvenienced.

Operation ABC is a mistake. At a time when a real, deadly threat haunts America, this is a monumental waste of police resources. Operation ABC will make millions of Americans curse meddling bureaucrats and overzealous law enforcement officers - on a weekend when we should be enjoying the freedom of America, and giving thanks for life's blessings, Dasbach said.

Dasbach said the NTSB justifies the program because it improves compliance with child safety laws. However, the Transportation Department admits 97 percent of parents already obey child seatbelt law, he said.

The National Safety Council estimates 30 million Thanksgiving travelers will take to the highway over the weekend, a greater number than usual because of lingering fears over air travel.