Law Enforcement Launches Seat Belt Initiative

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- As Memorial Day weekend approaches law officers will be stepping up enforcement of Texas' seat belt law. From May 19 through May 31, state troopers, police and sheriff's deputies will write tickets (with a fine of up to $200) for failing to wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a moving vehicle.

In Texas, all front-seat occupants and children under 17 (regardless of where they are seated) must wear a seat belt when the vehicle is moving.

Children under 5 years old and less than 36 inches tall must be secured in child safety seats.

According the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), wearing a seat belt can improve the chances of surviving a crash by 50 percent. TxDOT is also cautioning drivers of trucks. Pickups are twice as likely to flip over and their occupants are less likely to wear a seat belt than those in cars.