Click It or Ticket

Millions still forego wearing seat belts

The Texas Department of Transportation recently came out with a surprising statistic — millions of Texans are still not wearing seat belts when they drive autos and trucks.

The figures are extra surprising when paired with another dangerous habit of texting while driving (or reading or using other smartphone apps).

A split-second is all it takes for distracted drivers to become involved in an accident, whether with another motorist, a deer or veering off the road. And not wearing a seatbelt can mean the chances skyrocket for serious injury or even death.

TxDOT profiled one Dripping Springs resident who lost control of her car, crashed into a retaining wall and broke nearly every bone in her body because she was not wearing her seatbelt. Now the formerly outgoing woman must rely on her family to take care of her for even the most basic of tasks.

TxDOT states that it’s all too common to find people in accidents who weren’t buckled up. In 2022, there were 1,258 people killed who were not wearing their seat belt, a 2.5% increase from the year before.

Whatever one’s reason for not wearing one, it’s not worth your life.

The department states roughly 10% of people still do not wear their seatbelts. TxDOT’s goal is to get all drivers to buckle up.

From May 22 through June 4, including Memorial Day Weekend, law enforcement from around the state will be working overtime ticketing motorists who are not buckled up. State law requires that every person in a vehicle be secured by a seat belt whether riding in the front or back seat. Fines and court costs for failing to fasten seat belts can add up to $250 or more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the Click It or Ticket initiative has saved more than 7,399 lives, prevented more than 120,000 serious injuries, and resulted in $28.5 billion in economic savings since its inception in 2002.

TxDOT’s Click It or Ticket campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths.

Seeing as how Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways, it’s a no-brainer to strap in before we hit the road. Keep yourself and your family safe and buckle up. — KEC