WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- The New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee is teaming up with NASCAR driver Ross Chastain to give you Protect Your Melon, an initiative designed to keep you safe when you're on the road.  

New York was the first state to enact a seat belt law in 1984, and since then numerous agencies including law enforcement and The New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee have been reminding drivers of the importance of road safety. NASCAR Driver Ross Chastain is helping spread the word as race weekend at WGI approaches quickly.

"We want them to get home safe, to get home to their, their loved ones and their family. No matter if they're going two minutes down the road to pick something up from the store, or they're traveling into the NASCAR race, or wherever they're at in this country, or the world, we want them to wear their seatbelts," said Chastain, who will drive the #92 Protect Your Melon Chevrolet in Saturday's Xfinity Series race.

The name Protect Your Melon comes from Chastain's family history of watermelon farming. He hopes to use his platform as a racing driver to bring awareness to seatbelt safety and general safety when operating a motor vehicle.

"I'm racing 200 miles an hour on the weekend, but when I leave the track, I'm on the highway and the traffic, and the small two lane roads and the interstates, just like everybody else. I want to get home safe, just like I want everybody around me to, " Chastain added.

If you're planning on checking out the races this weekend, you'll be able to see this #92 Protect Your Melon DGM Racing car in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, and then you'll be able to watch Ross on Sunday as he competes in the Cup Series, in the #1 Busch car for Trackhouse Racing.