TxDOT launches new 'Click It or Ticket' campaign in Texas. Here's when it will be enforced

The Texas Department of Transportation is launching a new initiative aimed at improving traffic safety throughout the state.

The state's new "Click It or Ticket" campaign will be announced Wednesday by officials from TxDOT, the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to a news release. It's meant to encourage motorists to wear their seatbelts or face fines up to $200.

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'Click It or Ticket' campaign enforced past Memorial Day

Texas officers and deputies will be more stringent in their enforcement of the campaign Monday, May 20 through June 2, including over Memorial Day weekend, to motivate drivers and passengers to get on board. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by up to 60%, according to TxDOT.

The campaign was sparked by the 1,185 people who died in crashes on Texas roads in 2023 because they were not wearing their seatbelts. Centering the campaign is the story of David Palestrant, a 17-year-old high school football player from Kerrville, who died in 2021 in a rollover crash. Palestrant was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident.

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"The simple act of buckling up could've prevented these tragedies and spared these families the pain and heartache," said Jackie Ipina, TxDOT Traffic Safety Program manager, in a recorded statement. "There is never a good reason to be in a moving vehicle without wearing a seatbelt."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas' 'Click It or Ticket' seatbelt campaign could mean a $200 fine