Teens in Texas Need to Buckle Up and Click It or Ticket Will Help

What is the first thing you do when you get in your car? You might say you make sure you have your music going. You might say that you make sure your drink is not going to spill. Maybe you make sure your kiddos have what they need to ensure a smooth ride.

The most important thing that you need to do is make sure you and everyone in your car is buckled up. We all know how important that seat belt is. How many lives has bucking up actually saved? That answer is a lot.

The one simple thing like buckling a seat belt is the single most important thing you can do each and every time you get into your car. Let's face it a seatbelt saves lives. If that habit starts at an early age then you have won the battle.

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There is no bigger fear as a parent than getting a phone call that your teen driver has been in a wreck. Nothing makes your heart drop faster. Teaching them to buckle up first thing is a very important step in making that phone call a little easier.

A seatbelt can help make that outcome a bit more on the positive side. That is why TxDOT'S Teen Click it or Ticket is so important. According to TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams:

We want to remind our teens to always buckle up, no matter how far the drive. It only takes a few seconds to put on your seat belt, and that simple click can save a life.

From now until February 15th the Teen Click It or Ticket campaign will travel the state. They are reaching out to Texas teens with its imperative seat belt safety message. There will be a mobile digital vehicle featuring screens displaying safety information.

It will also include a trailer with the wreckage from a truck crash that involved two teenagers who walked away with minor injuries because they were wearing seat belts.

Teen drivers will also be reminded that seat belts are the law. They could end up with a ticket of up to $200 for not wearing one. They will also be reminded that includes all passengers even those in the backseat.

According to TxDOT:

Seat belts offer the best protection in a crash. Unfortunately, seat belt use remains low among Texas teen drivers and passengers. In 2022, 51% (162 of 320) of teens killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing seat belts.

The goal is to make sure more and more teens take that extra step to make sure they are buckled up. Not just because it is the law but because it saves lives.