Texas Transportation Officials To Celebrate 5,000-Plus Saved Lives With PSA Campaign

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Department of Transportation officials will celebrate the success of its "Click It or Ticket" campaign—credited to have saved more than 5,000 lives—with a most interesting art installation.

TxDot officials will mark the 15th anniversary of the campaign promoting the use of seat belts on Tuesday (May 2) that was launched in 2002. The public awareness campaign is credited with saving thousands of lives, so the news conference will feature the lowering of a sculpture of the number 5,068 squeezed into a giant replica of a safety belt, officials said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that since its inception in 2002, the Texas “Click It or Ticket” campaign has resulted in 5,068 fewer traffic fatalities while preventing 86,359 serious injuries and saving more than $19.3 billion in related economic costs, TxDot officials said.

To ensure drivers adhere to safety, law enforcement officials will bolster efforts to ticket drivers and passengers not wearing a seat belt from May 22 to June 4, officials said.

In 2002, only 76 percent of Texans wore seat belts, TxDot officials said. Today, nearly 92 percent buckle up, TxDot officials added.

"But 8 percent still don’t, and that unbelted number doubles to 16 percent at night, when more fatalities occur," officials said. "Last year 62 percent of the 994 unbelted fatalities occurred at night, and total unbelted fatalities increased 9 percent over 2015."

In Austin alone, there were 37 motor vehicle traffic crashes in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries, according to available data. These crashes resulted in 8 fatalities and 32 serious injuries, officials added.

"This year the Texas Department of Transportation marks the 15th anniversary of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign dedicated to preventing serious injuries and fatalities by reminding drivers and passengers about the importance of wearing a seat belt and the fines they face for not buckling up," officials said.

The event takes place at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., at 10:30 a.m.

>>> Photo credit: Beademung → https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Beademung via WikiMedia Commons