Beginning Monday, May 23, and continuing through Sunday, June 5, drivers can expect increased police presence in Junction City as the Junction City Police Department joins almost 150 other law enforcement agencies in aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant restraint and other traffic laws. It’s part of the 2016 Kansas Click It or Ticket campaign.

The activity is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Enforcement will occur around the clock. Officers will be especially vigilant at night because the likelihood of seatbelt use at night is much lower than during the day, and the percentage of unrestrained crash deaths soars much higher at night.

Drivers can expect strict enforcement of both the Safety Belt use Act and the Child Pasenger Safety Act. those require that all vehicle occupants must be appropriately restrained.

Law enforcement officers can stop vehicles and issue tickets when they observe front seat occupants, teens in any position, or children under the age of 14, riding without being properly restrained. Occupants, ages 14 and over, are cited individually. In the event that a passenger under the age of 14 is observed to be unrestrained the driver will be cited. The fine an adult violation is $10. The fine for a youth ( 14-17 ) violation is $60, ( no court costs ) , while the driver’s fine for a child ( 0-13 ) restraint violation is $60 plus a court cost  charge of $117.

Children under the age of four must be correctly secured in an approved child safety seat. CHildren, ages 4-7, must be securely belted into an approved booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet nine inches or heavier than 80 pounds, in which case the ooster may be removed and the child belted in without it.  Children, ages 8-13 must be safety-belted.

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