Photo courtesy of Canva

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and a busy time for road travel. The Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Kansas Turnpike Authority are reminding drivers and passengers to always wear seat belts.

As part of the national Click It or Ticket campaign, running May 18 to June 1, law enforcement will increase patrols across Kansas to promote seat belt use.

“According to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kansas is approximately 5% below the national average for seat belt use. A national average is about 92% and Kansas used it at about 86%,” said Kansas Highway Patrol Colonel Erik Smith.

Preliminary 2024 data shows that nearly 47% of people killed and 32% of those seriously injured in crashes were not wearing seat belts.

“With Memorial Day fast approaching one of the busiest travel weekends in the nation, we urge every motorist and every occupant on Kansas roadways to buckle up. Clicking our ticket isn’t just a catchphrase. It’s a national life-saving campaign backed by statistics involving real people, and real families. Let’s work together to ensure that no more lives are lost to something that’s so prevalent. Buckle up every trip, every time,” said Col. Smith.

For seat belt safety tips, click here.