Brownsboro Police to participate in statewide mobilization
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Brownsboro Police Department will take part in two education and enforcement efforts starting around summer time. These mobilizations were requested by the Texas Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Region 6 office.

The first mobilization, "Click It or Ticket", is aimed at getting drivers to fasten safety belts. The second, "Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest," is a crackdown on those driving under the influence of alcohol.

"Click It or Ticket" will have a mobilization window of May 19 through June 1, while the drunk driving crackdown will last from Aug. 15 to Sept. 1.

Ron Shields, BPD police chief, said these two issues are very important to him and his department.

"We're trying to save lives," Shields said. "If I didn't think these issues were important I wouldn't be involved in this."

Shields added some people don't think it's necessary to buckle their safety belts when performing mundane tasks like driving to the grocery stores, but noted a large portion of accidents occur within 20 miles or less from drivers' homes.

A letter to the police department stated in 2006, 1,677 Texans died in alcohol-related traffic accidents, with far more being injured.

"Impaired driving deaths in Texas are above the national average and far too many persons are killed or injured," the release stated. "High visibility enforcement remains the key to getting drunk drivers off the road."

Since the "Click It or Ticket" program began in 2002, seat belt use in Texas rose about 16 percent, while the seat belt rate in pickups rose by 19 percent.

When the driver population of Texas is taken into account, the release read, over 2 million drivers and passengers have started to use seat belts because of the program.

"This could not have been accomplished without participation from thousands of law enforcement agencies in Texas and across the country," the release stated.

Shields said this year is his department's second year to be involved in the mobilization.

"It's part of our effort to protect and serve the public," Shields said.