CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — TxDOT is currently doing a Teen Click It or Ticket campaign since seat belt use is lowest among teen drivers.
Officials said car accidents in Texas can be prevented with just one simple click.
"It is the law, but, you know, the more important thing is, it is about keeping people safe," Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Rob Mallory said. "Like I said, you're much more likely to survive a crash when you're wearing that seat belt."
He said seat belts make a difference, and 86% of survivors of fatal crashes were wearing them. When ejected from a vehicle, those not wearing seat belts are 20 times more likely to be killed in the crash.
Rickey Dailey with the Texas Department of Transportation said 162 teen drivers died in Texas in 2022 that did not have a seat belt on. That's compared to 144 the previous year.
"If you consider the number 162 teens lost in crashes who weren't wearing their seat belts, that's three full school buses," Rickey Dailey said.
He explained that TxDOT urges every rider to wear a seat belt during every ride. He said people can set a good example of wearing a seat belt, like parents for their kids. In 2022, of the 320 teens ages 15-20 killed in Texas car crashes, he said more than half were not wearing a seat belt.
"51% of the teens who died in crashes in 2022 weren't wearing a seat belt, and it's been proven over and over that the seat belt is your best protection in a car crash," Dailey said.
In TxDOT's Corpus Christi District, which has 10 counties, Dailey said eight car crashes happened in 2022 where unrestrained teens were seriously injured.
Mallory explained that two teen passengers who died in a car accident on Highway 359 last month were not wearing seat belts. He said people should have a different perspective about being required to wear one.
"What's your why for why you wear your seat belt, because there is somebody out there that loves you and cares about you that, you know, doesn't want to be asking that question, 'Had they just been wearing their seat belt, would they still be with us today?'" Mallory said.
Drivers and passengers can face fines up to $200 for not wearing a seat belt.
Law enforcement said everyone in the car is required by law to wear one, and it is just as important to wear it in the back seat as it is in the front.
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