Commissioners Court Meeting

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Meeting Date:	02/22/2021
submission of grant
Submitted for:	Rose Magana	Submitted By:	Rose Magana
Department:	Constable Precinct 1

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to approve submission for a grant application from the Texas Department of Transportation in the amount of $25,000.00 for the 2020-2021 STEP Click It Or Ticket Campaign, the County will need to match 20% of said grant (Approximately $5,000.00 for fringe benefits). The grant would be designating the Webb County Judge as the authorized official in all matters related to this grant, and any other matters incident thereto. All required documents will be sent for review through the Economic Development Department and the solicitation will be compliant with the Webb County Single Point of Contact (SPOC) procedure.

Issue: Texas Law requires drivers and passengers regardless of where they are seated in a vehicle to be secured by a safety belt or a safety seat for children under the age of 8, unless they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. However, many drivers and passengers off all ages continue to ride in a motor vehicle without a safety belt or safety seat.

Solution: Constable Pct. 1 has been offered by Teas Department of Transportation to participate with said state grant so it can join forces with other State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies to aggressively enforce the seat belt laws in Webb County.

Result: To increase occupant restraint use in all passenger vehicles and trucks by conducting an intense occupant protection enforcement and public information and education effort during the enforcement period.

Background:

November 2020 marks the 18th anniversary of “Click It or Ticket,” a campaign urging Texans to buckle up. Today, almost 91% of Texans use their seatbelts-only 76% did when the campaign launched in 2002. In 2019, the number of people who died while not wearing a seat belt decreased by 6% over 2018. Still, 925 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed on Texas roadways.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates since its inception 18 years ago, “Click It or Ticket” has saved 6,234 lives, prevented more than 100,000 serious injuries and saved Texas more than $23.6 billion in related economic costs.

While almost 91% of Texans are buckling up, nearly 9% still don’t. That’s why the “Click It or Ticket” campaign to remind Texans to buckle up in the front and back seats, both day and night, is more important than ever.

Previous Court Action:

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	n/a
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Balance:	n/a
Financial Impact:
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