Local law enforcement joined forces with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) from May 20th through June 2nd to increase seat belt use during the annual ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign.
“While many drivers and passengers have made a habit of buckling up, we still see an alarming number of motorists who have forgotten to protect themselves,” said Uniform Patrol Captain Joey Nelms.
That number showed with over 80 citations given locally by the Paris Police Department during the campaign.
“Our officers assigned to this extra duty issued 85 citations, 66 for persons not wearing seat belts and 3 for child safety seat/belt violations during the campaign,” said Paris Police Chief Bob Hundley. “We feel this was a successful campaign and brought forward more awareness of using seat belts.”
Wearing a seat belt can reduce your chance of becoming a fatality by 45% in a passenger car and 60% if you are driving a pickup.
In a recent TxDOT crash data report, 982 people who were not wearing seat belts were killed last year in crashes on Texas roads.
“All it takes is a few seconds to fasten your seat belt and it can mean the difference between life and death in a crash. We never enjoy giving tickets, but if doing so gets someone to buckle up and that saves his or her life, then it’s worth it,” added Nelms.
Texas state law requires everyone in a vehicle to buckle up or face fines and court costs of up to $200. Children younger than 8-years old must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
“It’s pretty simple, using a seat belt can save your life or a child’s life in your vehicle. Please choose to ‘click it,'” said Hundley.
