2005-22
NEWS RELEASE:   May 18, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   LT John Eichkorn 785-296-6800
Megan Ingmire 785-296-6800

Patrol Mobilizes Enforcement of Seatbelt Laws
Troopers: “Click It or Ticket”

As the busy summer travel season begins over the Memorial holiday weekend, the Kansas Highway Patrol is announcing its participation in the national Buckle Up America! Week and Click It or Ticket campaigns from May 23 through June 5. Joining more than 12,000 law enforcement officers across the nation, Kansas troopers and local law enforcement will concentrate on enforcing the state’s seatbelt and child passenger safety laws. The campaign message is clear: If you aren’t wearing a seatbelt and you are stopped for another violation and given a ticket for that violation, you will be issued two tickets.

The campaigns include the Memorial holiday weekend, which is expected to bring congestion from heavy traffic and road construction. According to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), 3 people tragically lost their lives and 208 were injured in motor vehicle crashes on Kansas’ roadways during the 2004 Memorial holiday weekend.

Patrol Superintendent Colonel William Seck said, “High visibility enforcement saves lives. Our goal is to make sure all passengers and drivers know they face higher risks if they don’t buckle up—a higher risk getting a ticket and higher risks of serious injury or death.”

Kansas’ law requires all children under the age of four to be secured in approved child safety seats and all children age four and under 14 to wear safety belts. Law enforcement officers may stop and issue drivers citations whenever they see children unrestrained. Unbuckled adults who are seated in the front seat may be cited and fined when they are stopped and cited for other traffic violations.

Thanks to overtime funding from KDOT’s Special Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP, the Patrol will be able to place additional troopers on Kansas’ highways to focus on enforcing occupant protection laws during the campaigns. Last year, troopers issued 444 seatbelt citations and 116 child restraint citations during the 78-hour Memorial holiday reporting period alone.

This year’s Buckle Up America! Week and Click It or Ticket campaigns will emphasize safety for teens and young adults because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 15 to age 34 in the U.S. For the past several years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has helped states implement Click It or Ticket programs, aiding law enforcement agencies in conducting intensive, high-publicity safety belt enforcement mobilizations. Combined with paid advertising and the support of government agencies, local schools, community organizations and others, these efforts create dramatic increases in seatbelt use. Safety belts save an estimated 14,000 lives each year and save about $50 billion in medical care, lost productivity, and other injury-related costs nationwide.

For your safety, the Kansas Highway Patrol offers these additional tips for this summer season:

Safety Tips for Summer Travel

Plan your trip and allow plenty of time for delays. Make sure that you are well rested and comfortable with your route. For construction zone locations and weather-related road conditions, call 511 or visit KDOT’s website, www.ksdot.org.

Before you leave, make sure your vehicle is ready to travel. Check the fluids, tires, belts, wipers, and lights.

Buckle your seatbelt and properly secure children in age- and size-appropriate safety seats, booster seats, or lap and shoulder belts.

Watch the weather. Prepare for Kansas’ unpredictable weather conditions. Adjust your speed and following distance to other vehicles as conditions dictate. Wet roads can be just as slick as those covered in snow or ice. For tips on driving in severe weather, visit the Kansas Highway Patrol’s website at www.kansashighwaypatrol.org

Use alcoholic beverages sensibly. Do not use alcoholic beverages before or during your trip, and never ride with someone who has. Kansas’ law forbids open containers of alcoholic beverages in vehicles. In 2004, the Patrol made 58 DUI arrests over the 78-hour Memorial holiday weekend.

Drive defensively and courteously. Assume another driver’s mistakes are not personal. Be polite and courteous, even if the other driver is not. If another driver challenges you, take a deep breath and get out of the way.

If you break down, move your car as far onto the shoulder as possible and activate your four-way flashers. Stay with your vehicle, lock your doors and let your windows down a little. If you have a cellular phone, dial *47 (*HP) for the nearest Highway Patrol dispatcher or *KTA on the Kansas Turnpike.