By: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Bev Kellner, 979-862-1782, bkellner@ag.tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – This year’s Click It or Ticket Campaign will be May 23 – June 5, which includes the Memorial Day weekend, and a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service safety expert is urging drivers throughout the state to take a few seconds to save their own lives.
“Taking about three seconds to buckle your seat belt is the most important step you can take to protect yourself in a crash,” said Bev Kellner, AgriLife Extension program vehicle safety specialist, College Station. “While most Texans now routinely buckle up, some groups of motorists still aren’t consistently using seat belts. Statistics show those most likely to be unrestrained are men and young adults, especially pickup truck drivers and passengers.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nationally about 50 percent of those killed in crashes are unrestrained — and its about 61 percent for pickup truck occupants. The Texas Department of Transportation reported last year 40 percent of those killed in Texas crashes were unrestrained.
“NHTSA said in 2015 alone, seat belts prevented 370 fatalities and 6,652 serious injuries in Texas,” Kellner said. “When the Click It or Ticket campaign began in 2002, just 76 percent of Texans used seat belts. Today, more than 90 percent of Texans buckle up.”
Kellner said pickup truck drivers and their passengers typically depend on their vehicle’s bigger size to protect them in a crash.
“But the fact is pickup trucks are twice as likely to rollover as passenger cars, and pickup truck crashes can be especially serious – even deadly – due to their tendency to roll over and for unbelted occupants to be thrown from the vehicle,” she said.
Unbuckled passengers can also be deadly to others in the vehicle Kellner noted.
“Most people are not aware of the dangers posed by unbuckled backseat passengers. In a crash, they can become projectiles that are tossed around inside the vehicle, injuring or killing those in the front seat,” she said. “NHTSA and Texas Department of Transportation statistics show riders in the back seat who use lap and shoulder belts are 44 percent more likely to survive in a crash than unrestrained occupants in passenger cars. And they are 73 percent more likely to survive a crash in passenger vans or SUVs.”
Kellner said there’s yet another good reason for people to use their seat belts – it’s the law.
“Unbelted drivers and adult passengers can face fines and court costs of up to $200. Children younger than eight years old must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Fines issued to drivers for unrestrained children in their vehicle can be as high as $250 plus court costs.”
Kellner said since this year’s campaign time frame includes Memorial Day weekend, a time many people take to the road to enjoy the long weekend, drivers can expect to encounter additional law enforcement activity, including checking seat belts and child restraints.
“These officers are not out just to write tickets, but want to help prevent the needless tragedy from motor vehicles accidents,” Kellner said. “Remember, it just takes a few seconds to buckle up and save your life. Bucking up isn’t something to do just during Click It or Ticket. It’s something everyone who drives and every passenger should do every time they get into a vehicle.”
-30-