Agencies mark 20th year of 'Click It or Ticket,' urge public to buckle up to save lives

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Click It or Ticket,” the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) partnered with the Amarillo Police Department, both Potter and Randall County sheriff’s departments and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Thursday for a safety event to focus on seat belt safety for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld spoke about the need for the public to take on an active role in reducing preventable deaths with the wearing of a seat belt and the reasoning behind this campaign.

“Our goal is to deter people from not driving without a seat belt on. We are encouraging people to do their part to keep themselves safe," Birkenfeld said. “Fully one third of our fatal crashes involve not wearing a seat belt; these deaths are preventable. We cannot do this alone. I encourage drivers to do their part; it just takes a second to buckle up.”

Birkenfeld said that campaigns like this allow his department to have more officers on the street without additional costs to the taxpayer. 

Public Information Officer Sonja Gross for the TxDOT Amarillo region spoke about the effectiveness of the campaign over the past 20 years.

“Numbers don’t lie. We have statistics that show that nearly 7,000 lives have been saved as a direct result of this program since it began in Texas 20 years ago," Gross said. “It’s a two-second act that can save your life. Seat belts have been proven to save lives. We want to end the streak, not having a deathless day on the Texas highways over the past two decades.”

According to a news release from TxDOT, since its launch in 2002, the Texas Click It or Ticket initiative is estimated to have saved 6,972 lives, prevented 120,000 serious injuries, and saved $26.3 billion in related economic costs.

The release says: "Whether you’re traveling during the day or at night, a short or long distance, or as a driver or a passenger, wearing a seat belt remains the single most effective way to protect yourself from serious injury or death in a crash. TxDOT’s annual 'Click It or Ticket' campaign reminds everyone about the safety benefits of wearing a seat belt. Texas law enforcement officers will step up their efforts from May 23 through June 5 to ticket unbelted drivers and passengers."

The 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, such as wearing a seat belt, driving the speed limit, never texting and driving, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. According to TxDOT, Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways. #EndTheStreakTX asks all Texans to commit to driving safely to help end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways.

Cindy Barkley, public information officer for DPS, reflected on the efforts to get people to buckle up while driving.

She said that so far this year in the Amarillo region, her department has responded to 30 fatal crashes among the 26 counties that it encompasses.

“This campaign is one of many programs we try to use to keep people safe,” Barkley said. “There is no excuse to not buckle up. It is so heartbreaking for us as law enforcement officers to have to tell families that their loved one has passed away. The simple step of putting on a seat belt could have saved their life.”