Law enforcement agencies in the Wichita area and across Kansas will begin increased enforcement of seat belt rules and other traffic laws beginning Monday.
The annual Click It or Ticket campaign will run through Sunday, June 3. More than 150 agencies in Kansas will participate.
Drivers can expect strict enforcement of the state’s seat belt laws and rules that govern child safety seats and booster seats. Law enforcement will be especially active at night because seat belt usage falls after dusk, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
The enforcement program will occur around the clock. It is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
In 2017, seat belt usage in Kansas was 82 percent; the national average is 90.1 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That puts Kansas in the bottom third nationally of seat belt use.
About half of the 359 people killed in auto accidents in Kansas in 2017 were not wearing a seat belt. Of that group, 56 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34.
Tom Shine is the director of news and public affairs. Follow him on Twitter @thomaspshine.To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.
