David Mills said his daughter briefly took her seatbelt off when she was riding with friends. That decision proved to be fatal.
SPRING, Texas — As millions of Texans prepare to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend, state officials are ramping up their efforts to keep drivers and passengers safe.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is once again launching its “Click It or Ticket” campaign, reminding everyone to wear their seatbelts – or face the consequences. The campaign runs through June 1 and includes billboards across Houston and throughout the state urging compliance.
“We have our billboards. We do our television commercials. We also go out to college campuses,” TxDOT spokesperson Leo Flores said.
According to TxDOT, more than 1,000 people who died in crashes on Texas roads last year were not wearing seatbelts.
“Some of those deaths were completely preventable by doing something very simple as putting on their seatbelt,” Flores said.
With AAA Texas projecting that more than three million Texans will travel by car this Memorial Day weekend, officials are urging caution.
“There’s always the possibility for accidents, but with more people on the roads, there’s an even greater possibility,” Flores said.
Among those sharing a personal plea for drivers to wear a seatbelt is Spring, Texas, resident David Mills. Mills lost his daughter, Kailee, in a car crash in 2017 when she was just 16 years old. She was riding in a car with friends just minutes from her home, and she unbuckled her seatbelt to take a selfie. Moments later, the car crashed.
“She was ejected. She died instantly. And her friends all walked away with no injuries, and they all had their seatbelts on, so we know that our daughter would still be here if she had her seatbelt on,” Mills said.
Now, through the Kailee Mills Foundation, David Mills is sharing his daughter’s story to promote seatbelt safety. He wrapped his truck with a photo of Kailee, as well as a message to buckle up. He said he often brings the truck to events they hold at schools and throughout the community.
“The message on the back is ‘Buckle up, someone loves you.’ That’s our message to not just kids, but families in general,” Mills said. “It’s like a billboard. It’s a message to all the drivers on the road. When drivers on the road see this, I’ve actually seen people pull up and reach across and buckle their seatbelts because they saw the truck.”
TxDOT estimates that more than 8,200 lives have been saved since the “Click It or Ticket” campaign began in 2002. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45% for front seat passengers.