The Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) is leading a five-state effort to get pickup truck drivers and passengers to use their seat belts or face higher fines.
The “Buckle Up in Your Truck” campaign will reach across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma as well as the Indian Nations from November 14 to November 28, with state troopers, police officers and sheriffs’ deputies issuing citations to those who aren’t properly restrained, said Terry Pence, TX DOT’s traffic safety director.
“Pickups are twice as likely to roll as passenger cars in fatal crashes. About one out of every four pickups in fatal crashes involves a rollover. Wearing your safety belt reduces the risk of dying in a rollover crash by 70% to 80%,” Pence said. “Buckling up is your only defense against being ejected from your vehicle, one of the most deadly things that can happen to you in a crash.”
