ACPD Joins State Seat Belt Campaign

From now through October 12, 2024, the Arkansas City Police Department will join other Kansas law enforcement agencies to stop what has been likened to an epidemic in Kansas. In 2022, 18 children ages 0-13 lost their lives due to car crashes in Kansas. Sadly, 50 percent of those children were not wearing their seat belts.

"In the health field, they talk about ensuring children have received their immunizations to prevent deadly diseases," said Arkansas City Police Chief Jim Holloway. "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."

According to the 2022 Kansas observational seatbelt survey, children are much more likely to buckle up if the driver wears their seatbelt. About 97 percent of the children are restrained if the driver is buckled. Only about 30 percent of the children observed were buckled if the driver was not.

Until October 12, 2024, law enforcement across Kansas will be extra vigilant when patrolling around schools. For more than twenty years, officers have educated and warned drivers and passengers about the importance of using seatbelts while in their vehicles.

"There should be no surprises in this enforcement effort. Officers will issue citations to anyone who does not obey Kansas law," Holloway said. "Even one child's death is unacceptable. Please slow down, especially in school zones, eliminate the distractions, and always buckle up."

For the latest data and to see more about Kansas safety belt laws, visit www.ktsro.org