Later this month, the Saline County Sheriff's Office is joining law enforcement agencies across the state in a concerted effort to enforce seat belt laws.
The special emphasis on seatbelt enforcement is scheduled for Oct. 26-30.
"In the health field, they talk about making sure children have received their immunizations to prevent deadly diseases," Sheriff Roger Soldan said. "But what many parents don't think about is that wearing a seatbelt properly is the best prevention of serious injury or death in a vehicle."
The sheriff's office noted in a news release that adults modeling good driving behaviors, such as wearing seatbelts, is essential for children. According to the 2019 Kansas observational seatbelt survey, if the driver is wearing a seatbelt, approximately 97 percent of the children in the vehicle are properly restrained, however, if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, only about 30 percent of the children in the vehicle are properly restrained, the sheriff's office noted.
"Even one child's death is unacceptable. Please slow down, especially in school zones, eliminate the distractions, and always buckle up," Soldan said.
For the latest data and to see more about Kansas safety belt laws, visit the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office website at ktsro.org.