Lawrence police patrolling for seat belt violations Tuesday / LJWorld.com

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Lawrence police will patrol for seat belt law violations Tuesday night, according to Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

Kansas law mandates a minimum of a $60 ticket for drivers and passengers ages 14 to 17 who are cited for not wearing a seat belt. The ticket is $10 for those 18 and older.

Police can stop a car for the sole reason of a seat belt violation in the front seats of the vehicle, according to state law. If the back seat passengers are the only ones in violation, police can only cite them if they have also been cited for another violation.

Sixty-three percent of Kansas fatality accident victims in 2012 were not wearing seat belts, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation. On average, 88 percent of Kansas motorists did wear them.

The effort to conduct special nighttime seat belt enforcement is part of the Nighttime Seat belt Enforcement Program, paid for through a grant funded by KDOT.

The_Big_B 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Good Grief!

How 'bout we patrol for things that CAUSE accidents ... like failing to signal, following too closely, driving like a bat ....

Seat belts are fine for reducing the harm AFTER the wreck ... I'd rather see us work on PREVENTING the wreck altogether.

oletimer 3 months, 4 weeks ago

while I understand your thinking, between the legal system and slick lawyers, writing tickets on the other infractions usually does not get anything accomplished. Besides, if the tried to enforce all the other infractions, they would need twice the number of police.

hitme 3 months, 4 weeks ago

In other cities, I've seen Police depts. use a (pedestrian) person as a spotter, in an elevated position and have several catchers down the road. It kept them busy.

Keith 3 months, 4 weeks ago

They do that here too, last year they had a spotter (in uniform) at the corner of City Hall and the river bridge. If he saw you were not wearing a belt, you got pulled over on the bridge by the rest of the team.

msezdsit 3 months, 4 weeks ago

How about giving the police a reason to stop you so they can harass you. If you fit their profile all they have to do is say you didn't have your seat belt on. Who would know whether you did or not, but you may get a trip to the jail while the details are sorted out later.

cheeseburger 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Paranoid much?

rando1965 3 months, 4 weeks ago

give me a ticket because i choose not to have my internal organs crushed by a seat belt.

hujiko 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Right. Being impaled, pinned, dragged, or ejected is so much more survivable.

Seat belt enforcement is fine, but I'd like to see some stats on pokey left-laners being ticketed. I'd bet that is not as vigorously pursued as it should be.

LogicMan 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Is "Impeading the flow of traffic" illegal by Kansas, Douglas County, or Lawrence traffic law?

Yes, thus the 'Keep Right Except to Pass' or 'Slow Traffic Keep Right' signs you see along the roadways.

maisy 3 months, 4 weeks ago

The big push is from KDOT. The more tickets written, the more funds a participating department can get from KDOT for a job well done.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months, 4 weeks ago

They should post an officer by the bridge and get those people turning north from the left lane and winding up in the right lane. They could pay of the national debt.

Or at KU, as northbound Iowa Street people turn right onto 15th. You must "turn into the lane closest to you". On Friday, I saw a non-responding LPD car violate that rule elsewhere in town.

JackMcKee 3 months, 4 weeks ago

No problem here. My vehicle dings incessantly if you don't buckle your seat belt.

Topple 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Mine dings AND holds my radio hostage!

Hoots 3 months, 4 weeks ago

The only place I've seen them do this is downtown during heavy drinking hours on either Vermont or New Hampshire. This is more a tool to look for DUI's and other infractions. It gives them an excuse to make contact with you and then start sniffing for booze, drugs, no insurance, or to watch you roll up texting, etc. They usually have several cops on foot stationed around a 4 way stop.

Works for me! I sometimes wonder how there aren't a dozen DUI arrests every night in this town. It's usually not very hard to spot drunk people getting into their cars around Mass.

Lawrence and Douglas County

Lawrence and Douglas county

Lawrence police patrolling for seat belt violations Tuesday

Reader poll

How often do you wear a seat belt?