Drivers will see more law enforcement on the road today.
More than 160 agencies, including police departments, sheriff’s officers and the Kansas Highway Patrol will be aggressively enforcing safety laws with the Click It or Ticket campaign. It’s expected to last the next two weeks, which includes the Memorial Day weekend.
The goal is to make sure that people are wearing their seat belts, which significantly reduce crash injuries and deaths. Kansas has seen a 13% increase in traffic fatalities last year, with more than 430 people who died.
“Holiday times like this, especially in the summer, there will be a lot of people out traveling, a lot of extra motorists out on the roadway and an increase in impaired and distracted driving,” said Sedgwick County Sgt. Justin Maxfield. “So, we want to make sure everybody’s wearing their seat belts and children are in child seats and all occupants are operating their vehicle safely.”
Law enforcement officers can stop vehicles and issue tickets when they see front-seat occupants, teens in any seat position, or children under the age of 14, riding without being properly restrained, the Wichita Police Department shares with KAKE News.
COST FOR SEAT BELT VIOLATIONS
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for seat belt fines.
• Adults: $30 – a $20 increase passed overwhelmingly by the 2017 Kansas Legislature
• Youth (14-17): $60
• Child (0-13): $60 + a court cost charge of as much as $108
You’ll want to be sure your younger children are in an approved child safety seat, and the seat should be appropriate for your child’s height and weight. Also, the law prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from riding in any part of a vehicle not intended for carrying passengers, like a pickup bed.
For answers to child safety restraint questions and the location of the nearest safety seat fitting station, or safety seat technician, you can contact the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office at 1-800-416-2522 or e-mail ktsro@dccca.org.
While seat belts may not always protect from serious or fatal injury, research shows that no other piece of equipment within the vehicle provides more protection. According to KDOT, almost half of people killed in crashes each year in Kansas are not wearing seat belts and about 98% of people in crashes, who suffer no injuries, were wearing seat belts.
“On average 102 people die every day in traffic related accidents. Wearing seat belts can drastically reduce the numbers on that, so we’re looking forward to at the sheriff’s office, is to keep everyone safe,” Maxfield said.
“We would be perfectly happy if we didn’t write one single seat belt ticket during the whole campaign,” Maxfield continued. “Statistically, that’s not going to happen. People don’t adhere to warnings and start wearing their seat belts, so aggressive enforcement of the seat belt laws is the best way to get people to wear their seat belts.”