Kansas law enforcement agencies across the state will be participating in KDOT’s Seatbelt Safety Enforcement Week, Sept. 17-23. Louisburg police officers will be providing extra patrols around Louisburg schools that week looking for drivers or passengers that are not properly restrained and may issue citations, reports Louisburg Chief Josh Weber.
KDOT’s Traffic Safety Section has found that issuing citations is the best way to affect change in seatbelt usage in its 20 years of seatbelt compliance education. According to KDOT, eight children ages 0-13 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 and 62 percent of those children were either not wearing a seatbelt or were wearing it improperly.
A 2019 statewide observational seatbelt survey showed 98 percent of children ages 0-4 are restrained. But that number drops when you reach older children where only 88 percent of 5–9-year-olds and 87 percent of 10–14-year-olds are buckled, KDOT reports. Also observed, when the driver is buckled up, nearly 97 percent of the children are restrained, but if the driver is not buckled, only about 30 percent of the children are buckled.
Fines for improper seatbelt usage by age in Kansas are $60 for ages 0-13 and 14-17 and $30 for ages 18 and above.
Miami County Sheriff’s officers will also be participating in the seatbelt enforcement campaign, according to Matt Kelly, undersheriff. The Sheriff’s Office also provides a child safety seat check and installation assistance to county residents. If you need help making sure your child or grandchild’s safety seat is installed correctly, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 913-294-3232 to make an appointment with a staff member who has been certified in child safety seat installation.