Dallas Boosts Seatbelt Enforcement This Summer

Dallas police are joining Texas’ annual Click It or Ticket campaign as state and local officers increase seat-belt enforcement during the Memorial Day travel period. The statewide mobilization began May 18 and runs through May 31, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Officials are warning that drivers and passengers who are not buckled up can face fines and court costs of up to $200 under Texas law. The Texas Department of Transportation says the campaign is aimed at getting Texans to buckle up “day and night in every seat” as summer travel picks up. The agency says 90% of Texans wear seat belts, but 965 people killed in traffic crashes on Texas roads in 2025 were not buckled up. ### When is enforcement being stepped up in Dallas? May 18 marked the start of the current enforcement period, and TxDOT says officers statewide will step up efforts through May 31. (txdot.gov) The campaign is timed to heavier holiday travel around Memorial Day, part of the broader national Click It or Ticket effort promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Dallas is part of that statewide push. (txdot.gov) While a current Dallas Police Department campaign release was not readily accessible, the department’s website lists traffic-law enforcement and citation payment resources, and TxDOT says local law enforcement agencies across Texas are participating in the mobilization. ### What are officers looking for? TxDOT says officers are watching for motorists and passengers who are not wearing seat belts, including people riding in the back seat. (texasclickitorticket.com) Texas law requires all drivers and passengers to be buckled up, and children younger than 8 must be in a child car seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. The campaign’s public message has emphasized that enforcement will be especially active at night. (dallaspolice.net) TxDOT says more than half of unbuckled traffic deaths happen after dark. ### How much can a seat-belt violation cost? Texas law allows fines and court costs of up to $200 for drivers and passengers who are not properly restrained, according to TxDOT. For children younger than 8 who are not properly restrained, the driver can face fines of up to $250 plus court costs. (txdot.gov) Dallas motorists who receive traffic citations can pay them through Dallas Police Department resources, which direct users to payment options for traffic and other tickets. (texasclickitorticket.com) ### What numbers are officials using to make the case? TxDOT says seat belts reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 45% for people in the front seat of passenger cars and by 60% for people in pickup trucks. The agency also says the Click It or Ticket initiative has saved more than 8,600 lives in Texas since 2002, prevented 157,000 serious injuries and generated more than $35 billion in economic savings. (txdot.gov) (dallaspolice.net) Nationally, NHTSA says Click It or Ticket runs from May 11 through May 31 and is designed to remind drivers of both the safety benefits of buckling up and the legal consequences for failing to do so. NHTSA says 56% of people killed in nighttime traffic crashes in 2024 were not wearing a seat belt. ### What happens after the campaign ends? May 31 is the scheduled end of the current Click It or Ticket enforcement period in Texas and nationally, according to TxDOT and NHTSA. (txdot.gov) Dallas drivers seeking information on citations or payment options can use the Dallas Police Department’s online traffic-ticket resources after the campaign concludes. (texasclickitorticket.com) (nhtsa.gov)