DPS enforcing seat belt laws

Seat belts not only save lives, they help keep dollars in your pocket too.

Wharton County law officers are out in force targeting seat belt law violators as well as drunk drivers in hopes of keeping motorists safe.

"What can safety restraints do? They can increase a person's chance of surviving a vehicle crash," said Senior DPS Trooper Gary Pflughaupt.

Texas law requires every person sitting in the front seat of a vehicle to wear a safety belt. The law also states all children under 17 must be secured with a safety belt, or in a child safety seat, whether they are sitting in the front or in the back seat.

A child less than five years old and less than 36 inches tall must be secured in a child safety seat. Drivers can be stopped and ticketed for a safety belt violation if they, or any of their passengers under the age of 17, are not buckled up. Traffic fines for failing to use a seat belt or secure a child in a safety seat can run up to $200, plus court costs.

"Remember to drive sober, and make sure that everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt or buckled into the appropriate child safety seat," Pflughaupt added.

The 2008 Click it or Ticket campaign runs through June 1.