Brownwood News – Approximately 42% of teens killed in Texas traffic crashes in 2018 were unrestrained in vehicles. To remind teens how the click of a seat belt can save a life, the Texas Department of Transportation is taking its annual “Teen Click It or Ticket” campaign on the road. The campaign will visit several high schools across the state with interactive education events convincing teens to buckle up.

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“As teens start driving and gradually gain independence, some don’t always make the best decisions regarding their safety. One of the safest choices teens can make is to buckle up every time they are in a vehicle,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “We urge teen drivers and their passengers to make it a habit to always buckle up and save a life.”

The “Teen Click It or Ticket” campaign will host interactive events at six Texas high schools this spring. The events feature the use of virtual reality game technology and an augmented reality experience to share the campaign’s safety messaging in a highly engaging manner. The experience also includes the display of a mangled truck involved in a rollover crash. Thanks to using their seat belts, two Texas teens survived the crash with only minor scratches. The campaign’s outreach to Texas teens will be enhanced by TV, radio and digital advertising and social media.

During 2018 in Texas, one in five vehicle crashes involved a teen driver. Of the 262 teen drivers and passengers killed in vehicle crashes that year, 111 were unrestrained.

Texas law requires drivers and all passengers to wear a seat belt. Unbuckled drivers and passengers — even those in the back seat — face fines and fees of up to $200.

Seat belts prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected from a vehicle, which is almost always deadly. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45%. That number jumps to 60% for pickup truck crashes.

The “Teen Click It or Ticket” campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel. Since November 8, 2000, at least one person has died on Texas roadways every single day. #EndTheStreakTX asks all Texans to commit to driving safely to help end the streak of daily deaths on our roadways.

To learn more about “Teen Click It or Ticket,” visit https://www.txdot.gov/driver/kids-teens/teen-clickit.html.

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