AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Transportation is sending a strong message to get people to buckle up.
In 2016, Eden Ganzerla lost control of her car driving to work and crashed into a retaining wall, breaking almost every bone in her body.
Now she struggles with a traumatic brain injury and must speak through a computer. Eden was not wearing her seatbelt.
Even though she did not lose her life, her father says every day is a constant struggle.
"For her, it was ... I want to help people, I don't want people to make the same mistake I made," her father, John Ganzerla, expressed during the press conference.
That is why TxDOT's "Buckle Up" campaign is so important.
In 2017, 3,000 people were killed or seriously injured in a crash for simply failing to wear their seat belt.
Wearing your seatbelt increases your chances of surviving a crash by 45 to 60 percent. Remember, in Texas, you can face a $200 ticket for not buckling up.