Officers stepping up seat belt enforcement

    As the old posters hanging in the halls of elementary schools remind people: "Buckle Up: It's the Law."
    Now buckle up, as the police will be taking a closer look.
    The Dodge City Police Department announced Tuesday that its officers will be doing extra patrol within city limits, specifically looking for those violating seat belt laws.
    Between May 19 and June 12, local police will be directed to pay extra attention, making sure drivers are buckled in.
    Police Chief John Ball said the department had received a state grant, which allowed the department to pay for extra patrol officers during the period in an effort to boost the number of people wearing a seat belt.
    According to Kansas law, anyone 14 years old and older must use a seat belt at any time a motor vehicle is in motion. Similarly, children under the age of 4 must be placed in child safety seats.
    Those caught without a seat belt can face fines up to $60, plus $69.50 in court costs. So if you're caught, you can expect close to $130 in fines.
    The law does contain one stipulation that Ball said he wasn't too concerned about. The statute says law enforcement officers cannot stop drivers for violating the seat belt law alone. The citation can only be written if the driver is pulled over for a different violation.
    Ball said police are able to pull over drivers between 14 and 18 years old specifically for seat belt violations. For adults, however, seat belt violations are secondary offenses.
    That means, Ball said, with the grant to help boost patrol numbers around the city, the police will be keeping a closer eye on your belt if you’re caught speeding.
    City prosecutor Terry Malone said a sizable number of seat belt violations came through Dodge City Municipal Court.
    "The police are pretty good about writing those tickets," Malone said.
    Last year, 405 seat belt law violations came through municipal court. This year, there have been 87.
    Roughly 75 percent of Kansas drivers were found using their seat belts in 2007, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation. However, Kansas lags behind the rest of the country, which reported roughly 82 percent seat belt usage.
    The number sagged even lower in rural southwest Kansas counties, with Finney County reporting 57 percent seat belt usage and Seward County coming in at around 66 percent. Data for Ford County was not available.

Reach Mark Vierthaler at (620) 408-9932 or e-mail him at mark.vierthaler@dodgeglobe.com.