Beginning October 29th through November 2nd, the Parsons Police Department along with other Kansas law enforcement agencies are joining to stop what has been likened to an epidemic in Kansas. In 2016, there were 44 children under the age of 19 who lost their lives due to car crashes in Kansas. Sadly, almost half of those children were not wearing seatbelts.

"In the health field, they talk about making sure children have received their immunizations to prevent deadly disease," said Chief Robert Spinks. "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 2017 Kansas observational seatbelt survey, children are much more likely to be buckled up if the driver is wearing their seatbelt. If the driver is buckled, about 98% of the children are also restrained. If the Driver is not buckled, only about 29% of the observed children were buckled.

According to Sgt. Jason Ludwig, "We want adults to model good driving behaviors for children."

Starting on October 29th through November 2nd, law enforcement across Kansas will be extra-vigilant when patrolling around schools. For more than 20 years, officers have educated and warned drivers and passengers regarding the importance of using seatbelts while in their vehicle.

According to Sgt. Ludwig, "There should be no surprise when it comes to this enforcement effort. Officers will issue citations to anyone who does not obey Kansas law."

"Even one child's death is unacceptable. Please slow down, especially in school zones, eliminate the distractions, and always buckle up," said Chief Spinks.

For the latest data and to see more about Kansas safety belt laws, go to: www.kstro.org

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