Texas Press Association

Click It or Ticket Campaign Makes an Enormous Impression on Motorists
TxDOT Enlists Inflatable Characters to Help Enforce Safety Belt Laws

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Against the backdrop of the much-anticipated Dallas Cowboys stadium, Godzilla, a rock icon and a steer remind Dallas/Fort Worth motorists to buckle up as part of TxDOT's "Click It or Ticket" campaign. From now through May 31st, law enforcement will be out in droves on Texas streets and highways enforcing the state's safety belt laws. PHOTO BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

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Arlington Deputy Chief Lauretta Hill issues Godzilla a citation for not buckling up. High winds and rain caused Godzilla's safety belt to break. Godzilla and four of his giant friends are part of the Texas Department of Transportation's annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which runs through May 31. PHOTO BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

ARLINGTON -- Motorists in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area received a reminder from some unusual characters to buckle up or pay a fine. The Texas Department of Transportation enlisted the help of five inflatable ambassadors for its eighth annual Click It or Ticket campaign. The characters made their D/FW debut in Arlington, just north of Rangers Ballpark. They were joined by local law enforcement, TxDOT representatives and high school students from Mansfield Legacy High School to raise awareness of Texas safety belt laws.
From May 14 - 19, the five inflatable characters—including Godzilla, a rock icon and a rubber duck—appeared in surprise locations throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and other major Texas cities carrying a unified message: Click It or Ticket. Looming more than two stories tall, these unconventional messengers warned Texans that they will face fines if they do not obey safety belt laws.
The goal of this year’s campaign is to raise Texas safety belt compliance to 93.25 percent. To reach that goal TxDOT has created programs to reach pickup drivers and passengers, teen drivers and other hold-outs who have yet to get into the habit of using their safety belts. TxDOT is making a special effort to reach drivers aged 18–34, a group more likely to be involved in traffic crashes and less likely to buckle up than other age groups.
“We are extremely proud to have a 90 percent compliance rate here in Texas, but it is important to understand that when we talk about safety belt compliance, we are talking about saving people’s lives,” said Theresa A. Lopez, P.E., Assistant Director of Transportation Operations, TxDOT. “This year’s campaign may take a lighthearted approach, but our message and our mission could not be more serious.”
Thousands of state troopers, police officers and sheriff’s deputies will be on the streets and highways in the Metroplex and across the state through May 31, including the Memorial Day holiday weekend, to enforce the state’s safety belt laws.
Wearing a safety belt is the easiest and most effective way to prevent serious injury or death in a crash. Drivers and front seat passengers can be ticketed for not wearing their safety belts, as can drivers who do not buckle up their children. Safety belt violations can result in fines ranging from $25 to $200, plus court costs.