Safe Kids Kansas, along with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, State Farm, and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), urges everyone to buckle up over Labor Day weekend.

From Aug. 24 to Sept. 8, the “Bucks for Buckles” safety belt awareness campaign will take place in 46 Kansas cities. Volunteers will hand out dollar bills to drivers with all occupants properly buckled up, while those unrestrained will receive educational materials on the life-saving importance of seat belts and child safety seats.

The 2022 KDOT Seat Belt Survey found that 87 percent of Kansans surveyed were wearing seat belts, compared to the national average of 91 percent, according to the most recent NHTSA National Occupant Protection Use Survey. In 2021, Kansas ranked 38th in seat belt use among 50 states and the District of Columbia. Seat belts save over 15,000 lives annually and are the most effective defense against drunk, aggressive, and distracted drivers.

“Seat belts also reduce your chances of having a serious injury by as much as 50 percent,” Sage said. “It’s such a simple thing, so take your life into your own hands and buckle up.”