Kansas’ new seat-belt law will ease into effect beginning June 10, according to an announcement from Pete Bodyk, chief of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Safety and Technology.
Gov. Mark Parkinson signed the bill on May 27, making Kansas the 31st state to enact such a law.
Law-enforcement officers now cannot stop drivers for seat-belt infractions alone. There must be a primary infraction for a car stop; then, a ticket for not wearing a seat belt can be issued as a secondary offense.
The new bill gives law-enforcement officers authority to stop and give tickets to drivers and to front-seat passengers who are not wearing safety restraints.
From June 10 until June 30, officers will give only warnings to unbuckled drivers and front passengers. Beginning June 30, fines will accompany the tickets, according to Bodyk’s announcement.
The new law also affects unbuckled adults riding in the back seat. They now may receive tickets if the driver of the vehicle is stopped for another violation.
“This does not affect the existing law for anyone under 18,” Bodyk said. “It is still a primary offense if they are unrestrained anywhere in the vehicle.”
Law enforcement and KDOT officials tout the new bill as the simplest action that can be taken for safety in traffic.
“If you haven’t been buckling up for yourself or for those who count on you to return home safely every day, do it now because it’s the law,” said KDOT Secretary Deb Miller.
Bodyk said that when safety belts are worn correctly, they reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger-car occupants by 45 percent; the reduced risk of fatal injury jumps to 60 percent when seat belts are worn in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.
“That research becomes significant when coupled with KDOT statistics showing that only 30 percent of people killed in motor-vehicle crashes in 2008 were buckled in at the time of the crash,” Bodyk said. “Currently, Kansas’ safety belt use rate is 77 percent, which is one of the lowest in the nation and well below the national average of 84 percent.”
Kansas ranks 43rd out of 50 states in seat-belt usage.
reality (anonymous) says...
How much is the fine??
June 7, 2010 at 9:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
reality,
If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. Buckle up. It's the law!
'enry
June 7, 2010 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
educ8253 (anonymous) says...
I don't have a problem wearing a seatbelt, but how come motorcycle riders don't have to wear a helmet?
June 7, 2010 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reality (anonymous) says...
Henry, I ask a simple question that seems to me to be relevant based on the title of the article. Why you feel the need to be antagonistic is beyond me. And what does asking the question have to do with someone being able to afford it?
June 7, 2010 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
reality,
Sorry, chum. Twas just a joke. I like to kid around sometimes. A quick search yielded the following info regarding fines:
http://www.ksdot.org/burtrafficsaf/sa...
Primary Enforcement:
Each occupant of a passenger car* 14 years of age but younger than 18 years of age in any seating position can be cited for this violation (KSA 2-503(b). The fine is $60 including court costs.
Secondary Enforcement:
Front seat occupants of a passenger car* 18 years of age or older can be cited for a seat belt violation only after being cited for another violation (KSA 8-2503). The fine is $30 including court costs.
'enry
June 7, 2010 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
Those were the existing rates. The new law just allows coppers to pull you over for a seatbelt infraction alone and it doesn't matter what seat you (or the passengers) are in. (front or back)
I'm assuming the fines will stay the same because I can't find it specified with the new law. Probably looking at 60 bucks a person... Anyone else have better luck in searching?
'enry
June 7, 2010 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
This site (http://www.kansas.com/2010/05/28/1333...) says "Beginning July 1, the fine will be $5. After July 1, 2011, the fine will increase to $10."
That's not so bad! I wonder if it'll raise your insurance rates though...
'enry
June 7, 2010 at 10:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
I, personally, would like to see unannounced checkpoints for seatbelt infractions for minors. I am tired of seeing kids in the wrong safety seat for their size, using seats with improperly positioned, loose belts that are only loosely belted in themselves, or no seat or belt at all. I am also tired of seeing little kids riding in the front seats of SUV's and minivans that obviously have airbags, but they MAY be disabled, so I'd like that checked. I have noticed plenty of well-educated, well-employed, easily recognizable Emporians ignoring child-safety restraint laws.
A large majority of our population does not care about the laws to protect children and don't bother finding out what they are. I could care less whether the person over 18 is killed because they chose not to buckle up, but every time I see a story in the news that involves children dying in car accidents, I can only picture all the unbuckled kids I've seen in the last week, and it just turns my stomach.
June 7, 2010 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chrissylynn_2 (anonymous) says...
Well hooray another law telling me what to do. I can see laws protecting minors, but why impose this on someone old like me?
Driving from work at the far south end of town to home on the far north west side of town without a seat belt was the biggest risk i got to take all week, i mean thats a real risky rush for me and now all that is gone.Well it soon will be. For playing this type of roulette now i could be pulled over and fined? terrible terrible.
Some people just wanna take all the fun out of life.
June 7, 2010 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chrissylynn_2 (anonymous) says...
Why should motorcyclist HAVE to wear a helmet?
June 7, 2010 at 2:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
If you ain't strapped-in, your body could become a 100+ pound projectile moving at 70mph. Your body could then strike my vehicle causing damage to my property and/or person. We can't just let people drive around with a loose cannon sitting in their vehicle! Think of the children!
If you wanna share the road with the rest of us, you gotta do it safely and that means no 100+ pound objects flying at others. Click it or ticket. It's the law!
By the way, do school buses have seatbelts these days?
'enry
June 7, 2010 at 5:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodjoss (anonymous) says...
Interesting to note those who complain about a 'nanny state' will choose to complain to the same state about their neighbor's grass being 3/8" too long.
Remove the junk for 'public safety'!
Enforce the law?!
Remember the stamp act!!
June 7, 2010 at 9:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nmse_s (Shannon Standard) says...
How can a law regarding your safety infringe on your rights? Oh yeah, wait...guess there are those who believe they have a right to die or not, hmmm. It's a seat belt for crying out loud. By the way it is a risk to drive in town...my kids and I are proof of that. 3 years ago we were in an accident here, 1 mile from my house. If my kids hadn't been wearing their seat belts they could have been severly injured. Why take the chance people? Just buckle up and use some common sense.
June 7, 2010 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )