Each May the Kansas Highway Patrol joins law enforcement agencies
across the nation for the annual Click It or Ticket campaign to promote
seatbelt usage. This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign will take
place from May 24 to June 6. The Patrol and other law enforcement
agencies will be increasing traffic enforcements, with additional
officers on the roadways in the state to enforce occupant protection and
other traffic laws. The Kansas Department of Transportation has provided
a grant again this year, to fund the extra enforcement efforts.
“This year, the Kansas Legislature approved a primary seatbelt law,
which will take effect upon the Governor’s signing and it’s
publishing in the Kansas Register. The Click It or Ticket campaign is a
great time to get into the habit of always fastening your seat belt, and
making sure your children are buckled, and/or secured in their car
seats,” Colonel Terry Maple, Superintendent of the Patrol said. “So
many Kansas families have lost a loved one in a traffic crash. Many of
these deaths could have been prevented, if the driver or passenger had
been properly restrained.”
The program is targeted at reducing the number of preventable deaths
and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are
involved in traffic crashes. Troopers will be aggressively enforcing
seatbelt, child restraint (including seatbelts and child passenger
safety seats), speed, and impaired driving violations. The Memorial Day
holiday falls during the Click It or Ticket campaign, and with
additional travelers on the road, it’s imperative to follow Kansas
traffic laws. A Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant
provided by KDOT will allow extra officers to patrol the roads and
streets in the state.
“The Kansas Department of Transportation is dedicated to traffic
safety in Kansas. Once again, they have provided a STEP grant, which
will allow officers throughout the state additional time to spend
enforcing violations which often contribute to crashes. We thank KDOT
for their support and for their concern with traffic safety in
Kansas,” Maple said.
Nearly 70-percent of people killed in traffic crashes in Kansas in 2008
were not properly restrained. It’s important to use safety belts and
child restraints, as they are your best protection should you be
involved in a crash.
