As we get closer to the holidays, law enforcement in San Antonio will be keeping an extra eye out for passengers who are not buckled up.
In 2019, there were 150 motor vehicle traffic crashes in the San Antonio area in which passengers were not wearing seatbelts and were either killed or were seriously hurt, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Those crashes resulted in 53 fatalities.
As a result, from Nov. 16 to Nov. 29 state troopers, police officers and sheriffs' deputies all over the state will step up enforcement of the state’s seat belt and child car seat laws.
Texas law requires everyone in a vehicle to be properly secured in the front or back seat or face fines and fees up to $200.
Children younger than 8-years-old must be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
If a child isn’t secured, the driver faces fines of up to $250.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Click It or Ticket initiative in Texas is estimated to have saved more than 6,000 lives and prevented more than 100,000 serious injuries.
Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying by 45% for people in the front seat of passenger cars.
For those in pick-ups, seat belts can reduce the risk of dying by 60% since pickups are more likely to roll over, according to the NHTSA.
So be safe and buckle up as you travel this holiday season.