County extension office
Seat Belt Safety

Click It or Ticket is designed to emphasize the ease and cost effectiveness of using a seat belt. Marked each year to include Memorial Day, this year Click It or Ticket is scheduled for May 21 - June 3.

"Safety belt use is the single-most effective way to protect against injury and death in traffic crashes," says Bev Kellner, Texas Cooperative program coordinator. "Using safety belts does not cost a dime, not using them will cost you a citation during the May 'Click It or Ticket' mobilization."

"Law enforcement officers across the state will be extra vigilant in enforcing safety belt usage laws," said Kellner. So not only does 'clicking it' save lives, it can also save the cost of a ticket.

In addition, the Buckle Up In Your Truck campaign is "aimed at 18 to 34 year-old-men who do not consistently wear their safety belts in their pickup trucks," said Kellner.

According to information from the traffic safety administration, from 2001 to 2005, 1,444 people died in pickup truck rollover crashes in Texas. Pickup trucks generally are larger than cars, and owners tend to feel safer in them.

"But pickup trucks roll over twice as often as passenger cars," said Kellner.

Wearing a safety belt reduces the risk of dying in a rollover pickup truck crash by up to 80 percent, according to figures from the highway traffic safety administration. "Safety belt use is higher in passenger vehicles," Kellner said. "Last year in Texas, that rate of usage was 90.4 percent in passenger vehicles and 86.4 percent in pickup trucks.

"Those may be a lot of numbers to keep in mind when planning a spring or summer vacation getaway," Kellner said, "so keep it simple: just remember to 'Click It or Ticket.'

"Take those few seconds to buckle up on every trip," said Kellner. "It may very well save your life." For more information on local certified child safety seat technicians, contact Cindy VanDevender, County Extension Agent of Family and Consumer Sciences at 384-3721 or Bev Kellner at 979-862-1782 or bkellner@ag.tamu.edu or go to www.buckleupinyourtruck. com or www.nhtsa.dot.gov.