Buckle Up! I remember when they made wearing seat belts mandatory years ago. It didn't take long to get used to doing it, and now, most people do it instinctively.

That doesn't mean that we don't need a reminder every once in a while, and that's what the annual 'Click It or Ticket' campaign is all about. Now through June 5th, the Victoria Police Department will team up with the Texas Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement officials statewide to promote seatbelt usage through increased traffic enforcement.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), last year 2,369 motor vehicle traffic crashes occurred in Texas in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries. Wearing a seatbelt increases your chance of surviving a crash by 45%. In pickup trucks, that number jumps to 60%, because pickups are twice as likely as cars to roll over in a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that since its inception, the “Click It or Ticket” campaign in Texas has resulted in 4,319 fewer traffic fatalities while preventing 72,926 serious injuries and saving more than $16.7 billion in related economic costs.

That's a lot of lives saved. Honestly, I'm surprised to learn that some people don't buckle up the first thing they do when they get into a car.

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