By Payton Tholstrup

Labor Day weekend is almost here, and Kansas roadways are sure to be busy with many people traveling to their destinations. If you are traveling, making sure that your children have their seatbelts fastened is very important.

Safe Kids Kansas is encouraging families to remember to buckle up. Their seatbelt awareness campaign, Bucks For Buckles, will go through September 1st-September 10th. The program will have volunteers in 39 cities across Kansas distribute dollar bills to drivers of vehicles that have all occupants buckled up.

According to Cherie Sage, the Director for Safe Kids Kansas, 424 people lost their lives in Kansas in 2021 on the road; 54 percent of those people were not wearing their seatbelt. Sage emphasized how wearing a seatbelt is the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself in a vehicle, even if you are only traveling a short distance.

KDOT conducted a Seat Belt Survey in 2022 and found that 87 percent of Kansans who filled out the survey wear their seatbelt. Kansas ranked 38 in seatbelt use in 2021 among 50 states. Seatbelts save about 15,000 lives every year, reducing the chances of serious injury by as much as 50%.

For more information about safety belts or child safety seat use, call (785) 296-1223 or visit SafeKidsKansas.org, SafeKids.org and Facebook.com/safekidskansas.