The annual Texas Click It or Ticket mobilization is evaluated with three observational surveys: a baseline in April, a survey during the May mobilization, and a post-mobilization survey in June. These surveys collect seat belt use data at high-volume intersections in 10 major cities, providing comparisons across waves and with prior years. In addition, the project includes observational surveys in five major cities focused on teen seat belt and driver cell phone use conducted before, during, and after the Teen Click It or Ticket campaign.
Benefits to Texas Transportation Safety
The most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes is by using seat belts and child restraints. The national CIOT mobilization program has proven to be highly successful for increasing occupant restraint use. Tracking and evaluating the implementation of the national campaign—along with the Texas-specific participation with state-supported media and enforcement strategies—are instrumental in supporting this life-saving initiative.
Project Need and Approach
The Click It or Ticket (CIOT) Memorial Holiday period campaign has been successfully implemented annually in Texas since 2002, promoting high-visibility enforcement of the state’s mandatory seat belt law for all seating positions and child restraint use for children. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has measured the campaign’s effectiveness each year by conducting observational surveys of seat belt use before, during, and after the increased enforcement period in 10 major Texas cities.
Before CIOT’s implementation in 2002, the statewide seat belt use rate was 76.1 percent. Following the campaign’s launch, this rate increased to 81.1 percent, marking a significant gain not seen since the seat belt law’s passage. By 2019, however, seat belt use plateaued, hovering just below 90 percent. The 2022 survey showed slight improvement, with the statewide use rate rising to 90.4 percent.
To address high-risk teen drivers, the Teen CIOT public awareness campaign was introduced in 2011, using social media and tailored messaging. The program followed a pilot that increased teen seat belt use by 9.1 percent. Despite these efforts, 277 individuals aged 15–20 were killed in traffic crashes in 2021, and, where seat belt use was known, 53.1 percent were unrestrained—7 percentage points higher than the rate for all age groups combined.
In conjunction with the 2025 CIOT mobilization, TTI conducted three waves of observational seat belt use surveys during a 14-day period (May 19 through June 1, 2025). The evaluation focused on measuring seat belt use in 10 cities before, during and after the mobilization.
Project Activities
2025
The 2025 CIOT mobilization involved three waves of observational surveys to measure seat belt use in 10 Texas cities. The surveys took place before, during, and after the enforcement period, which ran from May 19 to June 1, 2025, coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend. Data were collected at six controlled intersections in each city, with the goal of observing 1,200 vehicles per city per wave. The survey measured the seat belt use of both drivers and passengers, noting vehicle type, gender, estimated age, and subjective identification of race/ethnicity. These cities, which have been part of the CIOT evaluation since 2002, provided valuable data on the effectiveness of the campaign in maintaining high seat belt use rates across various demographics.
In addition to the general CIOT campaign, TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety implemented a Teen CIOT program targeting drivers and passengers aged 15–20. This component included a paid media campaign and observational surveys in five Texas cities: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. The survey targeted teen drivers and passengers at high schools, with 400 total observations per city. Data collection to measure seat belt use among teens occurred before, during, and after the campaign.
2024
The 2024 CIOT mobilization involved three waves of observational surveys to measure seat belt use in 10 Texas cities. The surveys took place before, during, and after the enforcement period, which ran from May 20 to June 2, 2024, coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend. Data were collected at six controlled intersections in each city, with the goal of observing 1,200 vehicles per city per wave. The survey measured the seat belt use of both drivers and passengers, noting vehicle type, gender, estimated age, and subjective identification of race/ethnicity. These cities, which have been part of the CIOT evaluation since 2002, provided valuable data on the effectiveness of the campaign in maintaining high seat belt use rates across various demographics.
In addition to the general CIOT campaign, TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety implemented a Teen CIOT program targeting drivers and passengers aged 15–20. This component included a paid media campaign and observational surveys in five Texas cities: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco. The survey targeted teen drivers and passengers at high schools, with 400 total observations per city. Data collection to measure seat belt use among teens occurred before, during, and after the campaign.
Project Title: Click It or Ticket Evaluation Survey
Project Start and End Dates: Ongoing
Author List: Katie Womack
Sponsor/Funding Source: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)