LUBBOCK, Texas — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the University Interscholastic League (UIL) are calling on high school students to pledge to buckle up every time they get in a vehicle and always drive like a Texan: kind, courteous and safe.
TxDOT partnered with Darcey Goodloe, a Waco local who survived a horrific crash 16 years ago (2010) because she was buckled up. She was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. Her truck shot across multiple lanes on an icy I-35 and into a median, where it landed vertically, face down.
Darcey Goodloe was wearing her seat belt and survived with just a few scratches. In the years since her crash, she has graduated from Texas Tech, become a kindergarten teacher, gotten married to her husband and become a mother of two. None of which may have happened had she not chosen to buckle up that morning.
“By instilling these habits now, we can help the next generation of Texas drivers make safe driving decisions for the rest of their lives,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said.
Students at more than 1,500 high schools across Texas have been invited to compete in the “Saved by the Belt” challenge. Through February 27, students can go to TexasFootball.com to take the pledge to buckle up every time they get in a vehicle. The UIL will provide a grand prize of $5,000 to the school that gets the most pledges…