May 11, 2018 Lufkin — The Texas Department of Transportation wants Texans to know that even one life lost because someone failed to wear a seat belt is one too many. As part of the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, Texas law enforcement officers will increase their efforts from May 21 to June 3 to ticket unbelted drivers and passengers, especially at night.
Statewide seat belt use has increased to nearly 92 percent, yet 929 people were not buckled up and died last year on Texas roads. Fifty-seven percent of those crashes occurred at night. The Lufkin District saw 93 motor vehicle traffic crashes in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries in 2017. These crashes resulted in 34 fatalities and 74 serious injuries.
Buckling up is the single most effective step drivers and passengers can take to protect themselves in a crash. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent in a passenger vehicle, and up to 60 percent in a pickup truck.
The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (CR-3).
