Seat Belts

A caller to our Answerback line says we should stop pushing the new seat belt law. She complains that we often mention in stories about accidents whether the victims were wearing belts or not...and she says it's not been proven that seat belts always save lives. First of all, it is part of our job to remind viewers about new laws taking effect. It doesn't matter if we all think the law is good or bad,  it's just a heads up so you don't end up paying a fine.

Officers conducted a D-U-I checkpoint at 111th and westbound kellogg. They made seven arrests: three for driving under the influence and four open container violations. Police also wrote more than 30 citations for not wearing seat belts and having expired tags.

One person dies after an accident in Kingman County east of Murdock Monday. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 73-year-old Mary Green was southbound on east 80 Ave. near east Bluff Street when she lost control of her car and rolled. Green died at the scene. There was a 91-year-old passenger in Green's car, but she was not hurt. Investigators say both women were wearing seat belts.

Officers from several agencies will start a 24-hour enforcement project on Rock Road Wednesday. Mulvane, Derby, Wichita, Bel Aire, Sedgwick County and state troopers will work in their own jurisdictions to target aggressive drivers, unsafe lane changes, speeding, seat belts and DUIs. Wichita police say Rock road has a lot of high-accident locations in all of the jurisdictions.

A 14-year-old Haviland boy is dead after a crash in Kiowa County Tuesday.  It happened around 10:00 Tuesday about a mile west of Haviland. The Kansas Highway Patrol says Ky Maggard was headed west on a gravel road when he lost control and rolled his pickup.  Maggard was thrown from the car and trapped underneath it. Two girls, ages 14 and 16, were also in the truck.  They were not seriously hurt. KHP says the girls were wearing their seat belts, Maggard was not.

A man from Alaska dies in a car crash Friday morning in Chautauqua County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the wreck happened just after 4:30 Friday morning on U.S. 166 about 10 miles southwest of Sedan. Investigators say 26-year-old Jacob Clare was driving west on the highway when he went left of center and struck an on-coming car. Clare died at the scene, the driver of the other car was hurt and taken to a hospital in Sedan. Investigators say both drivers were wearing seat belts.

Teenagers are involved in three times as many deadly accidents as all other drivers, but state transportation officials say many of those deaths are avoidable. The Kansas Department of Transportation says 75 percent of teens who died in car crashes weren't wearing seat belts. They hope to turn that around with Project SAFE. That stands for Seatbelts Are For Everyone. From Feb. 27th to March 12th police in participating areas will patrol thirty minutes before and after school to check if students are wearing seat belts.

Three people die in a crash with a tractor Tuesday night in Rush County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a pick-up was driving west on K-4 about three miles east of the junction with U.S. 183 just before 8:00. Investigators say a tractor, also driving west, made a left-turn into a field drive. Investigators say the driver of the pick-up swerved to avoid the tractor, but ended up colliding with it. The drivers of both the pick-up and the tractor were taken to a Hays hospital with injuries.

There's the possibility many tickets will be written on Rock Road Wednesday. The Wichita Police Department, along with officers from Mulvane, Derby, Bel Aire, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department and the Highway Patrol will step up enforcement along the busy road. The enforcement begins at 7 a.m. and will last 24 hours. Each unit will work in their own area along Rock looking for aggressive drivers, unsafe lane changes, speeding, seat belts and drunk drivers. Wichita police a lot of high accident locations in all of the jurisdictions.

Wichita police arrest a man who led them on a short chase Thursday evening.  It all started at 2nd and Elizabeth where officers noticed an SUV speeding in the area. The SUV led police on a short chase that ended when the driver pulled into the Dollar General parking lot in the 1100 block of W. Douglas. Police say there were five kids in the car, ranging in age from three to ten.  None were in car seats or wearing seat belts. The 35-year-old man was arrested on several charges including child endangerment, evade and elude and drug charges.

Sedgwick County deputies issue more than 100 tickets during a four-hour seat belt enforcement patrol last night. Deputies conducted the patrol Tuesday between 6:00 and 10:00 pm. In that time, 83 adults were cited for seat belt violations, one of them for improper child restraint, one person was arrested for DUI and three were arrested on warrants. In addition to the seat belt violations, an additional 27 citations were issued for other traffic infractions. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says the patrol consisted of one sergeant, five deputies and four reserve deputies.

Wichita police and other law enforcement agencies have a message for you - Click It or Ticket... Drivers can expect to see increased enforcement of seat belt laws as part of the 2013 Kansas Click It or Ticket traffic enforcement campaign. That campaign runs from Monday, May 20 through Sunday, June 2 and is paid for through a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Police say drivers can expect strict enforcement of both the Safety Belt Use Act and the Child Passenger Safety Act. More on Kansas Seat Belt Laws from the Wichita Police Department: Cops can stop vehicles and issue tickets whenever they see front seat occupants or children under 14 riding without proper restraint.

A driver suffered minor injuries...after a turkey flew through his windshield in Reno County Monday morning. It happened on US-50 near Salem Road just before 9:00. Reno County officials say a 65-year-old man was driving an SUV when a turkey flew through his windshield and landed in his lap. The turkey then moved over into the passenger's lap. The driver, who is from Larned, was treated at the scene for minor cuts and glass in his eyes. The passenger was not hurt. Officials say both were wearing their seat belts.

Two men are recovering from injuries after a wrong-way crash closed a portion of Kellogg overnight. It happened on U.S. 54, just west of Oliver, around 1 a.m. Saturday. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Dennis Haynes, Jr., 40, was driving his SUV east in the westbound lanes, when he struck a van head on. Haynes, of Wichita, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The driver of the van, 37-year-old Christopher Asbell, of Park City, was also hurt. Hospital officials tell Eyewitness News both men are listed in fair condition.

Sedgwick County deputies hand out dozens of tickets for seat belt violations. The Sheriff's Department hosted a seat belt enforcement patrol in the county on Tuesday between 6:00 and 10:00 pm. In that time, the county says 44 adults were cited for seat belt violations, another was ticketed for improper child restraint. 12 other citations were written for other traffic violations discovered during the patrol. The patrol involved one sergeant, four deputies and two reserve deputies and was paid for through a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Garden City police officers issue 47 tickets for seat belt violations during a special patrol. Friday night, officers in Garden City conducted a nighttime seat belt enforcement program. Extra officers were out between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. enforcing seat belt use and child passenger safety laws. During the program, officers made 65 stops. They handed out 47 tickets for seat belt violations and two for child restraint violations. There were five citations for other violations for things like no proof of insurance, driving on a suspended or expired license and alcohol violations.

Wichita police arrest a man who led them on a short chase Thursday evening.  It all started at 2nd and Elizabeth where officers noticed an SUV speeding in the area. The SUV led police on a short chase that ended when the driver pulled into the Dollar General parking lot in the 1100 block of W. Douglas. Police say there were five kids in the car, ranging in age from three to ten.  None were in car seats or wearing seat belts. The 35-year-old man was arrested on several charges including child endangerment, evade and elude and drug charges.

A 16-year-old girl from Syracuse, Kansas is dead after a one-vehicle crash in Hamilton County Sunday evening.  The one-vehicle crash happened around 9:30 pm on Barton Road in Syracuse.  The Kansas Highway Patrol says the 1999 Suburban with six teenagers inside was headed south on a gravel road when the vehicle started to fishtail.  KHP says the driver over-corrected sending the SUV into a ditch, where it landed on it roof. 16-year-old Laura Leyva-Perez was thrown from the vehicle and killed.  The driver was a 16-year-old male, and there were four other passengers, all 14-year-old males.

Wichita police and other law enforcement agencies are kicking off a "Click It or Ticket" campaign. Police will be doing increased patrols looking for drivers not buckling up. The campaign is paid for through grant money. Police say in 2009 alone, seat belts saved around 12,700 lives nationwide.  Drivers are 75% less likely to be killed in a rollover accident if they are buckled up. Police say programs like "Click It or Ticket" work.  Seat belt use rose from 58% in 1994 to 85% in 2010.  Authorities credit high visibility campaigns for the increase.

A man from Alaska dies in a car crash Friday morning in Chautauqua County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the wreck happened just after 4:30 Friday morning on U.S. 166 about 10 miles southwest of Sedan. Investigators say 26-year-old Jacob Clare was driving west on the highway when he went left of center and struck an on-coming car. Clare died at the scene, the driver of the other car was hurt and taken to a hospital in Sedan. Investigators say both drivers were wearing seat belts.