September 15-19 the Junction City Police Department will join other Kansas law enforcement agencies to stop injuring and killing unbuckled children.

In 2013, 28 children ages 0-17 lost their lives due to car crashes in Kansas. Eighteen of those children were not wearing their seat belts, and 16 of the 18 were ejected from the vehicle.

According to the 2014 Kansas observational seatbelt survey, children are much more likely to be buckled up if the driver is wearing their seat belt. If the driver is buckled, about 96% of the children are restrained. If the driver is not buckled, only about 21% of the observed children were buckled.

Throughout National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 14-20, law enforcement across Kansas will be extra vigilant when patrolling around schools.  Fore more than 20 years, officers have educated and warned drivers and passengers regarding the importance of using seat belts while in their vehicle. Officers will issue citations to anyone who does not obey Kansas law.

Tim Brown, Junction City Police Chief, said, “Even one child’s death is unacceptable. Please slow down, especially in school zones, eliminate the distractions, and always buckle up.”