GPD steps up Click It or Ticket enforcement

From Monday, May 23 through Sunday, June 5, the Garland Police Department will join the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Public Safety by stepping up enforcement for seatbelt and child safety seat violations during the Click It or Ticket Campaign.

The increased enforcement aims to reduce the severity of injuries and deaths related to crashes where passengers were unrestrained.

Texas law requires drivers and all passengers – including those in the back seat – to wear a seat belt or risk a ticket, fines, and court costs up to $200 each. Children younger than eight years old must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.  Fines issued to drivers for unrestrained children in their vehicle can be as high as $250 plus court costs.

In 2020, 10,893 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States. Among the young adults (18 to 34) killed, more than half (60%) were completely unrestrained – one of the highest percentages for all age groups.

Drive safe. Buckle up!

www.nhtsa.gov — No matter what type of vehicle you drive, one of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. As you head out around the Memorial Day holiday, you’ll likely see more law enforcement on the roads as part of Click It or Ticket. This campaign, from May 23 – June 5, reminds drivers and their passengers of the importance of buckling up and the legal consequences – including fines – for not wearing a seat belt. One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 90.4% in 2021. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time.