The Texas Department of Transportation is gearing up to issue tickets for drivers and passengers without their seatbelts.
The “Click It or Ticket” campaign will start May 18th and continue until the end of the month. In an attempt to raise safety awareness, law enforcement officers across the state will issue tickets to unbuckled drivers and passengers. Tickets and fines are up to $200 dollars. Frank Marrero of the National Highway Traffic Administration says that in Texas over the last 5 years there have been 562 fatalities, the majority occurring at night.
“That’s a message that we need to get out to people. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, how far, you need to wear your seatbelt," Marrero said.
Sgt. Patrick Swanton of the Waco police department said local efforts would help crack down on those drivers and passengers that are unbuckled. But he also suggested there needs to be a change in culture…
“We know that vehicle passengers are less likely to use a seatbelt than drivers, and motorists in pick-up trucks use seatbelts less often than those in cars – something as Texas we need to change," Swanton said.