More Kansans Are Using Seat Belts This Year

A record number of Kansans are using their seat belts this year.

A new study found that seat-belt use in Kansas was 81.8 percent this year, an increase of almost 5 percentage points over last year. That’s the biggest increase since 1993.

Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller says the increase is gratifying, but the percentage is still too low.

The Kansas City Star reports that state traffic safety experts believe a new state law that allows officers to stop drivers for not wearing seat belts contributed to the increase. They are expecting another increase next year as the new law is more widely enforced.

The state says that between 30 percent and 40 percent of the drivers killed on Kansas roads each year aren’t wearing seat belts.