TxDOT Urges Those In Pickups To Buckle Up

Seat belts won’t prevent you from getting into an accident. But they can minimize the impact a crash can have on your body.

“Buckling up is going to prevent you — in case of a rollover — from being thrown out of the vehicle, having a concussion, breaking your bones, or worst of all, having another vehicle run over you,” said Blanca Del Valle, the spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Transportation.

For the next few weeks, law enforcement agencies will be making sure drivers and passengers are buckling up. Officers will specifically look at those in pickup trucks as part of the TxDOT campaign, Buckle Up In Your Truck.

“We’ve noticed through studies that out of all the vehicles, those who drive pickups are the least likely to buckle up,” said Del Valle, adding that passengers in pickups are also violators.

The fines for not buckling up begin at $250. Anyone in the vehicle not buckled up, including minors, can be fined. Officers will fine the driver if a minor is caught not wearing a seat belt.