ABILENE, TX — TxDot used ‘ghost shoes’ to represent unbuckled drivers and passengers who died last year in car crashes.
“Over the past 16 years Click it or Ticket campaign has helped save thousands of lives and prevented thousands more people from being seriously injured in car crashes on our roadways,” TxDot representative Carl Johnson said.
The National Highway Traffic Administration estimates the campaign has saved over 5,000 lives.
But, 929 pairs of shoes represent unbuckled Texan who died in a car crash in 2017.
“That happened to us on October 28th, of 2017,” David Mills said.
The parents added another pair to the collection.
Their 16-year-old Kailee Mills was killed when a car she was in veered off the road and she was ejected because she didn’t have her seatbelt on.
“They were about 500 yards from our house, they were only going a mile away. And she took her seatbelt off to slide over on the back seat to take a selfie,” Mills said.
Her parents feel one simple thing could have saved her life.
“All the other kids in the car had their seatbelts on and they all walked away with very little injury if any,” Mills said.
Her parents say no family member should have to feel this pain.
“These people behind me had a lot of people that love them too. It’s the nightmare we live every day. It’s, it’s every parent’s worst fear,” Mills said.
TxDot said daytime use has increased, but nighttime numbers are concerning.
Officers said the price could be a $250 dollar fine or your life.