TxDOT BEGINS “CLICK IT OR TICKET” CAMPAIGN
Starting today (Monday), drivers will need to be extra mindful about buckling up.
TxDOT’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign begins today, and runs through June 2nd. Law enforcement officers across the state will be cracking down on drivers who don’t wear their seat belts.
State law requires drivers and all passengers to be secured by a seat belt. Unbuckled drivers and passengers, even those in the back seat, will be ticketed and could face fines and court costs of up to $200.
Children younger than 8 need to be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat, unless they are taller than 4’9”. If they are not restrained properly, the driver faces fines of up to $250.
Buckling up not only keeps drivers from having to pay expensive citations, it also saves lives. Statistics from TxDOT show wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent, up to 60 percent for passengers in pickup truck crashes. Last year, 982 people who were not buckled up died in crashes on Texas streets and highways, an increase of 6 percent from 2017.
Despite this, seat belt usage in Texas continues to lag, especially during the nighttime hours (6 p.m. – 5:59 a.m.), even though that’s when nearly 60 percent of fatal crashes occur.
For more information, visit www.texasclickitorticket.com.