The Kailee Mills Foundation, leading advocate for seat belt safety awareness, is proud to announce an impactful partnership with State Farm Insurance, with a generous contribution of $75,000 to advance its life-saving seat belt safety programming and education across Texas. This funding supports a comprehensive effort to reduce preventable injury and death due to non-seat belt use, particularly among young drivers and passengers.
The Kailee Mills Foundation leads national efforts in seat belt safety awareness, youth education, and family assistance following traffic tragedies. This funding from State Farm directly fuels school presentations, student engagement campaigns, and permanent safety signage to shift behavior and create lasting community change.
The foundation’s mission is rooted in the personal story of 16-year-old Kailee Mills, who tragically lost her life after removing her seat belt for just a moment. Her story drives the foundation’s work to reach students, schools, and communities before tragedy strikes.
“Seat belt safety has long been a cornerstone of the commitment State Farm has to protecting drivers and passengers,” says Felicia Hutchins, Corporate Responsibility Analyst for State Farm. “As an early advocate, State Farm equipped its own claims employees with seat belts in 1955 and played a key role in founding the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Our advocacy contributed to landmark legislation requiring mandatory safety restraints in all vehicles, a move upheld by the Supreme Court in 1983. Partnering with Kailee Mills Foundation only helps continue the efforts to educate Texans on the importance of seat belt safety.”
In Texas alone, hundreds of lives are lost each year due to unrestrained vehicle occupants. Teens remain one of the highest-risk groups. Through the continued partnership with State Farm, the Kailee Mills Foundation will expand its ability to reach more schools, increase seat belt usage rates, and provide lasting reminders like their iconic “Buckle Up Someone Loves You” road signs installed at school exits.
Together, the Kailee Mills Foundation and State Farm Insurance are committed to creating safer roads, empowered youth, and informed communities.
