WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - TxDOT, along with law enforcement and other safety advocates, kicked off their Click It or Ticket campaign to remind Texans that simply wearing a seat belt is one of the fastest and most effective ways to protect lives on the road.

Last year, in the Wichita Falls District alone, TxDOT reported 55 deadly crashes, and 20 of those involved people who were not wearing seat belts.

As supporters gathered to promote the campaign, their message was simple and clear: wear a seat belt.

“We want to make sure that everyone wears their seat belt no matter whether they’re a driver, passenger, front seat, back seat, day and night,“ TxDOT statewide program manager Jacqueline Ipina said.

For TxDOT’s statewide program manager, Jacqueline Ipina, and many other safety advocates, those numbers hit hard, especially during this year’s Click It or Ticket campaign.

For something that takes less than five seconds, not doing this simple step can have serious consequences.

“One life loss is one too many. We think it’s not going to happen to me, we’re so close to home, but most crashes happen within 25 miles of your house and at speeds of lower than 40 miles an hour,“ Ipina said.

With Wichita Falls being the largest city in the region, keeping the area safe is a top priority for Sergeant Juan Gutierrez of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“Our main job, main purpose is traffic enforcement. We’re out in full force during this campaign, focusing on seatbelt violations, right, along with everything else, speeding. But on top of that, I’m also part of the safety education services. So that not only means putting out public safety announcements but also going to schools and talking to kids about safe driving habits, including buckling up, wearing seatbelts, and the statistics that come with that,“ Gutierrez said.

Since a crash can happen in the blink of an eye, both Sgt. Gutierrez and Jacqueline Ipina agree that the fastest and most effective way to protect your life is by wearing a seat belt.

“Those numbers are pretty staggering. Like was mentioned earlier by Jackie, that even one life lost is a huge deal. It means everything to us. So if you can take anything away, just please just take that extra couple seconds. Put that on, doesn’t matter the distance that you’re going, keep that seatbelt on,“ Gutierrez said.