The Saline County Sheriff's Office has a message for drivers: buckle up every trip.
Friday through May 31, travelers can expect increased law enforcement presence on Saline County roadways as the sheriff's office joins 180 other agencies in aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant restraint and other traffic laws as part of the 2021 Kansas Click It or Ticket campaign.
The event is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
"First, I want to thank the drivers that take their safety seriously and buckle up every trip," Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said. "I also want people to know that day or night, the Saline County Sheriff's Office is committed to aggressively ticketing violators of adult seat belt and child safety laws, as well as other traffic infractions, which make the need for occupant restraint so necessary."
The purpose of the campaign is to drastically reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are involved in traffic crashes. Approximately 345 people are involved in 170 crashes each day in Kansas, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. Only seven percent of people who are unbelted are likely to escape without injury. Half of all fatalities occur among those who are not wearing seat belts.
The campaign will provide extra enforcement of both the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act and the Kansas Child Passenger Safety Act. According to the sheriff's office, these statutes require that all vehicle occupants must be appropriately restrained.
Additionally, Kansas law prohibits children under age 14 from riding in any part of a vehicle not intended for carrying passengers, such as a pickup bed.
For answers to child safety restraint questions and the location of the nearest safety seat fitting station or safety seat technician, contact the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office at 800-416-2522 or via email at [email protected]. For information about the car seat distribution program, visit safekidskansas.org.