Ark City “Click It or Ticket” traffic campaign to begin May 21st

Officers will enforce seat belts, child safety seats, speeding, distracted driving

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (May 18, 2021) — Starting later this week, the Arkansas City Police Department will join almost 180 other law enforcement agencies in aggressively enforcing seat belt usage and other laws as part of the 2021 Kansas Click It or Ticket traffic enforcement campaign.

Beginning May 21 and continuing through May 31, drivers can expect increased police presence on city streets. This activity is supported by grants from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

During this period, drivers will be met with extra enforcement of the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act and Kansas Child Passenger Safety Act, which require all vehicle occupants to be appropriately restrained.

If officers observe other violations, they may stop a vehicle and speak with the driver or occupants.

“First, I want to thank the drivers who take their safety seriously and buckle up every trip,” said Interim Police Chief Eric Burr.

“I also want people to know that day or night, ACPD is committed to aggressively ticketing violators of adult seat belt and child safety laws, as well as other traffic infractions, which make the need for occupant restraint so necessary. So, buckle up. It’s a simple thing, really, and it just might save your life!”

The aim of Click It or Ticket is simple — to reduce drastically the number of preventable deaths and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are involved in traffic crashes.

About 345 people are involved in 170 crashes each day in Kansas, according to KDOT. Only 7 percent of those who are not belted are likely to escape without injury. Half of all fatalities occur among those who are not wearing a seat belt. While seat belts might not always prevent a serious or fatal injury, no other piece of equipment within a vehicle provides more protection to its occupants.

Kansas’ overall adult seat belt compliance rate is 85 percent and ranges, by county, from 62 to 97 percent, with occupants in rural counties generally less likely to buckle up than those in urban counties.

Almost two-thirds of Kansas’ fatality crashes occur on rural roadways, while these roads also account for only one-third of all crashes.

In addition, Kansas law prohibits people younger than 14 years old from riding in any part of a vehicle not intended for carrying passengers, such as a pickup bed.

For answers to child safety restraint questions and the location of the nearest safety seat fitting station or safety seat technician, contact the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office at (800) 416-2522 or email [email protected]

For information on the car seat distribution program, visit www.safekidskansas.org.

For questions regarding the local Click It or Ticket traffic safety enforcement effort, call (620) 441-6601 or email [email protected].