Law Enforcement to Write Safety Belt Tickets Left and Right

TxDOT Says Passengers Aren't Getting the Message to Buckle Up
AUSTIN, Texas--(Business Wire)--
The Texas Department of Transportation kicked off its 7th annual
statewide Click It or Ticket campaign with a stern reminder to Texas
motorists: if you haven't gotten into the habit of buckling up, it can
cost you a fine of up to $200.

Thousands of state troopers, police officers and sheriff's
deputies will be on Texas streets and highways between May 19 and June
1, including the Memorial Day holiday weekend, issuing citations to
drivers who aren't buckled up and whose children aren't properly
restrained. This year, law enforcement will also pay extra attention
to front seat-passengers who are not wearing safety belts.

While more than 92 percent of Texas drivers buckle up, passengers
are lagging behind when it comes to using safety belts. According to
the Texas Transportation Institute, only 87 percent of passengers in
Texas use a safety belt, and that number dips to 79 percent when
evaluating pickup truck passengers.

"Since pickups are twice as likely as passenger vehicles to roll
over in a fatal crash, we worry about the safety of people who don't
take the simple precaution of buckling up when they're in a truck,"
said Carlos Lopez, TxDOT's Traffic Operations Director. "Wearing a
safety belt reduces the risks of dying in a pickup rollover crash by
as much as 80 percent."

Safety advocates report that drivers and passengers who buckle up
have a 50 percent better chance of surviving serious traffic
collisions and avoiding serious injuries. Since the Click It or Ticket
campaign was first launched in Texas in 2002, there have been an
estimated 1,600 fewer traffic fatalities in Texas and 37,000 fewer
injuries as a result of increased safety belt use.

"The simple act of buckling up is the easiest, least expensive and
most effective way to prevent traffic deaths and injuries," said
Lopez. "It also can keep you from getting a ticket."

Among partners joining TxDOT in the campaign are the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas Department of Public
Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, local law enforcement
agencies across the state, the Texas Department of State Health
Services, the Texas Municipal Police Association, AAA Texas and the
National Safety Council.

For more information, contact Mark Cross in TxDOT's Public
Information Office (512) 463-8588.

TxDOT
Mark Cross, 512-463-8588

Copyright Business Wire 2008