As Kansas City faces its highest rate of traffic fatalities in years, Kansas City police, in cooperation with other area law enforcement agencies, will be out on the streets in force tomorrow, April 15, to crack down on safety belt law violators and reduce highway fatalities.
To date this year, 23 people have died in traffic crashes in Kansas City, Mo., compared to 11 at this time last year. Sixteen of those who have died this year were not wearing safety belts. Only two who died were wearing them. (The other five were on motorcycles, other motor vehicles or were pedestrians).
Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Among those least likely to buckle up: males under age 25, pick-up truck drivers and their passengers, people who live in rural areas and night-time drivers.
Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly. In 2007, a driver in a Missouri traffic crash had a 1 in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing a seat belt. In cases where the driver wore a seat belt, their chance of being killed was 1 in 1,294.
Sgt. Grant Ruark of the Traffic Enforcement Unit said that regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
For information on Missouri seat belt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com.
To date this year, 23 people have died in traffic crashes in Kansas City, Mo., compared to 11 at this time last year. Sixteen of those who have died this year were not wearing safety belts. Only two who died were wearing them. (The other five were on motorcycles, other motor vehicles or were pedestrians).
Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Among those least likely to buckle up: males under age 25, pick-up truck drivers and their passengers, people who live in rural areas and night-time drivers.
Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly. In 2007, a driver in a Missouri traffic crash had a 1 in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing a seat belt. In cases where the driver wore a seat belt, their chance of being killed was 1 in 1,294.
Sgt. Grant Ruark of the Traffic Enforcement Unit said that regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
For information on Missouri seat belt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com.
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