Texas ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign marks 20th anniversary

Officials estimate campaign has saved nearly 7,000 additional lives since 2002

The Texas Department of Transportation’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign is in its 20th year.

Darcey Goodloe, a Waco area woman featured in the campaign,

TxDOT’s Houston Public Information Officer Deidrea Georgeappeared on KPRC 2+ Monday to discuss the campaign.

“Since its launch in 2002, the Texas Click It or Ticket campaign has saved nearly 7,000 lives,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a release. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done over the decades and the countless hours put in by our law enforcement partners. But there are still far too many preventable deaths on Texas roads.

MORE: ‘Click It or Ticket’: Campaign helps FBCSO step up crackdown on seat belt violators

From May 23 through June 5, Texas officers and deputies will step up enforcement of the state’s seat belt and child car seat laws. Texas law requires everyone in a vehicle to be properly secured in the front or back seat or face fines and fees up to $200. Children younger than 8 years old must be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If a child isn’t secured, the driver faces fines of up to $250.

From 2002 to 2021, the Click It or Ticket initiative in Texas is estimated to have saved 6,972 lives, prevented 120,000 serious injuries, and resulted in $26.3 billion in economic savings, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

MORE: Texas teen who went viral for driving through tornado helps launch TxDOT’s ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign