Texas Will Ramp Up Tickets for Not Wearing Seat Belts in Summer 2025

Let me start by saying that I am a huge supporter of seat belts. Call me over-cautious, but I always wear a seat belt and will not start driving until everyone in the car does the same.

Having to wear seat belts while inside a vehicle is a relatively new requirement, as drivers before the year 1985 in Texas did not have to wear them. As annoying as they may be, you can't deny the fact that they save more lives during crashes than those in which they are not worn.

Lesson Learned in Texas

In fact, TxDOT has recently ramped up their "Click It or Ticket" campaign by sharing the heartbreaking near-death experience of one sheriff deputy after he flipped his vehicle without a seatbelt on.

Back in May of 2023, Caleb Boyer, a Polk County sheriff's deputy, was responding to an emergency call in his police cruiser. In efforts to rush to provide assistance, he skipped the whole seat belt thing. When an unlit pickup truck pulled in front of his car, he went spiraling off the highway, briefly going airborne before rolling the car twice.

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Fortunately, Boyer survived the accident, but he lost a leg in the process. This changed his entire mindset, and he always buckles up whenever entering vehicle from now on.

TxDOT also included that, in 2024, 1,069 people who died in car accidents were not wearing seatbelts. Also, about 60% of those fatalities all occurred during nighttime.

TxDOT's Response to Seat Belt Safety in the State

Stay alert, because between May 19 and June 1 of 2025, TxDOT will be doubling down on ticketing drivers who fail to use their seatbelts or place their children in car seats.

Currently, Texas law enforces buckling up with a $200 fine. When it comes to children failing to be put in a car seat, that fine can increase to $250.

Lastly, it's important to know that the Click It or Ticket campaign has saved an estimated 8,200 lives, saving roughly $33 billion for the economy since its inception in 2002.