The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Pinehurst Police Chief Fred R. Hanauer III is pleased to announce that his department will be participating in the 2015 Click it or Ticket campaign that will run from May 18 through May 31. Hanauer reminds everyone that seat belts save lives and that everyone in a vehicle is required by law to wear one.

When the campaign began in 2002, only 76% of motorists buckled up. Now, 9 out of 10 Texas motorists are utilizing their seat belts. The simple law-abiding habit of wearing a seat belt can protect thousands of Texans from serious injury or death. Yet, many people still refuse. For them, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its 14th annual statewide “Click it or Ticket” campaign to augment the federal, stepped-up enforcement period.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDot), National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) are joining forces with police and sheriff departments across the state to save lives on Texas roads and highways by working together to increase seat belt use.

Officers of the Pinehurst Police Department would like to remind everyone that wearing a seat belt increases the chances of surviving a serious crash by 45%. In 2014, 2,587 motor vehicle crashes occurred in Texas in which unrestrained vehicle occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries.

Hanauer added that back seat passengers can become human projectiles in a car crash and can even injure or kill someone in the front seat in the event of a collision. Texas law requires the driver and all passengers in a vehicle to be secured by a seat belt and yes, that means unbuckled adult passengers in the back seat also face fines and court costs of up to $200.

To learn more about “Click it or Ticket” visit http://www.texasclickitorticket.com.