Texas Border Business
PHARR – We are Texans. We wear our Lone Star belt buckles with pride, but it’s the buckle in your car or truck that matters the most. It’s the one that can save your life.
That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is working with law enforcement and encouraging people to drive like a Texan — kind, courteous and safe — and always buckle up. Remember, Click It or Ticket: every rider, every time.
Lives changed in seconds
Camron Murrell of College Station was just 19 years old when he was killed in anighttime crash on a back road off Interstate 10 in Liberty County, Texas, in 2020. Hewas driving with a close friend when he veered off the road and hit a tree.
Camron wasn’t wearing a seat belt, and neither was his passenger. They died instantly.
“Every time he was in my car and wouldn’t put his seat belt on, I would say ‘buckle up!’” said Camron’s mother, Priscilla Wolf. “And it may seem I was on him about it all the time, but he still didn’t listen.”
Seat belts save lives, but only when worn
In 2025, 965 people who died in traffic crashes on Texas roads were not buckled up. While that was a 10% decline from the previous year, which had 1,072 unbuckled fatalities, more lives could have been saved.
“A seat belt can be the difference between walking away from a crash and never making it home, but only if you’re wearing it,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Whether you’re going just a few blocks or many miles, buckle your seat belt every time, day and night.”
Increased enforcement across Texas
Studies show 1 in 10 Texans do not take the simple step of buckling up — that’s more than 3 million people. Law enforcement will be increasing patrols for two weeks starting May 18, watching out for people not wearing their seat belt.
Texas law requires all drivers and passengers to buckle up or face fines and court costs up to $200. Children younger than 8-years-old must be in a child car seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they aren’t properly secured, the driver faces fines up to $250 plus court costs.
A campaign proven to save lives
Click It or Ticket is one of the most effective traffic safety initiatives in history. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates the Texas campaign has saved more than 8,600 lives, prevented 157,000 serious injuries and resulted in $35 billion in economic savings since its launch in 2002.
The Click It or Ticket campaign is an important part of TxDOT’s Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe. initiative. Drive like a Texan is about embracing the pride, camaraderie and responsibility of being a Texan on the road. By making thoughtful choices, we can all help keep each other safe. Learn more at DriveLikeATexan.com.
LOCAL STATS:
In 2025, there were 93 traffic crashes in our South Texas region in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries. These crashes resulted in 28 fatalities and 90 serious injuries.
Statewide Data—Unrestrained Crashes (2025)
- In 2025, there were 965 traffic fatalities in Texas in which occupants failed to wear a seat belt.
- This was a 10% decrease from the previous year (1,072 in 2024).
- In 2025, there were 2,886 motor vehicle crashes in Texas in which unrestrained vehicle occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries.
- This was a 4% decrease from the previous year (3,004 in 2024).
- In 2025, of the 444 pickup truck drivers killed in Texas in a traffic crash, 221 were not wearing a seat belt. This represents 50% of all traffic fatalities in 2025 in which occupants failed to wear a seat belt.
- In 2025, the number of pickup truck drivers killed in Texas in a traffic crash who were not wearing a seat belt decreased 3% from the previous year(227 in 2024).
- Of all pickup truck occupants killed in rural-area crashes in 2025, where restraint usage was applicable and usage was known, 57% weren’t wearing a seat belt.
Nighttime Data—Unrestrained Crashes (2025)
- In 2025, there were 1,653 traffic crashes in Texas in which unrestrained occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) compared to 1,233 occurring during the day (6 a.m.–5:59 p.m.).
- This represents 57% of crashes in which an unrestrained occupant sustained fatal or serious injuries occurring at night vs. 43% during the day.
- In 2025, of all persons killed in vehicles in Texas at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.), where restraint usage was applicable and usage was known, 54% were reported as not restrained when the fatal crash occurred.
