TxDOT To Begin Click It Or Ticket Campaign
After a public awareness campaign informing the power of seatbelts to save lives, most Americans accept just how important it is to buckle up when riding in any motor vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelt use in the U.S. was up to 90.7% lives in 2019, saving tens of thousands of lives.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has announced that it began its annual Click It or Ticket campaign on Monday, November 16. NBCDFW reports that law enforcement agencies across the state are setting up to enforce the law as we move closer to the holiday season.
Our state law requires that everyone in a motor vehicle be properly secured with a seat belt or face a fine of $200. Children younger than 8-years-old or under the height of 4 feet 9 inches must be in a child safety seat or booster seat or face a potential fine of up to $250.
The TxDOT said in a statement that there were 925 traffic fatalities in Texas last year, which were directly attributed to failure to wear a seatbelt or use proper child safety seats.
“Whether you’re the driver or a passenger, wearing a seat belt-day and night-is the single most effective way to protect yourself from serious injury or death in a crash,” Executive Director for the TxDOT Click It or Ticket Program James Bass said. “
According to Bass, the TxDOT campaign for this year’s program will extend until midnight on Sunday, November 29.