Officers Targeting Drivers Without Seatbelts

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Posted: 7:52 PM May 15, 2008
Last Updated: 7:52 PM May 15, 2008
Reporter: Chris Frank
Email Address: chris.frank@kake.com

14 comments

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Earlier this week, a Wichita woman not wearing her seatbelt was injured when she lost control while driving along the canal route.

You might be surprised how many drivers and riders out there still aren't
wearing their seatbelts.

The number of Kansas wearing seatbelts is increasing. But, as a state, we still fall behind most other states with 75 percent of Kansans who wear seatbelts, compared to 82 percent as a nation.

Law officers will be cracking down on seatbelt usage with the "Click-It or Ticket" ad campaign starting Monday.

Sheriff's Sergeant Brenda Dietzman was seriously injured in 1993 when a driver turned left in front of her, striking her car on South Broadway.

Her car flipped three times after hitting a utility pole, then slid 200 feet.

"The back seat of my patrol car actually flew out the back window and ended
up about 200 feet from the point of impact. Had I not been wearing my
seatbelt that day I would have been thrown out as well and I would not have
survived," Dietzman said.

Officers across the state will be looking for drivers not wearing seatbelts, especially teen and 20-something drivers who officers say are often clueless about why they need seatbelts.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: cliff Location: wichita on May 19, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I guess the seat belt law is profitable. costs a lot less (and is safer) than going after real criminals. also lets cops look in your car to see if anything ileagle is in there.

Posted by: Jack Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 04:59 PM
Ok Anonymous. My point is lets get more cops or detectives solving some real crimes. Not seatbelts which I dont consider a crime. Oh yeah the crime record is real good around here. You must live in the rich part buddy. Put a sock in your mouth and set it on fire.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 02:41 PM
Hey Jack, they have people that work on homocides, rapes and child abuse, their called detectives and EMCU. When was the last time you heard of some thug robbing, raping or killing someone while a cop was standing there? Their stupid but for the most part but not that stupid. The police do what they can with what they are allowed to do and can do with the resources given. So, if they only focus on those types of crimes whose to stop your idiot 16 year old kid from driving like a maniac and killing someone? Everyone has a different priority as to what the police should be focusing on, and it seems to me they doa pretty good job. They have an 80-90% clearance rate on murders, which is pretty good compared to some larger cities. So, blah blah blah yourself and put a sock in it.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: WICHITA, KS on May 16, 2008 at 01:39 PM
Why doesn't school buses, trains, city buses, etc. have seat belts? Why should I have to wear one? It is my choice.

Posted by: Jack Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 12:19 PM
This is exactly what Ive griped about on several of these threads. EVERYDAY I read here about murder,robberies,child abuse, rape, AND YOU ARE GOING TO WORRY ABOUT SEATBELTS! Hey anonymous, blah,blah,blah. You say "they are working overtime, paid for by the grant to enforce traffic laws, nothing else". EXACTLY BUDDY! Lets get them working overtime on REAL CRIMES! By the way, why do people on this site hate motorcycles so much? I dont make the laws. If gas prices keep rising you are going to see alot more of them so get used to it. I think with most of you, the little wifey wont let you get one, so you are bitter.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Your poor decision does affect me when your involved in an accident and hurt and have to go to the hospital. We all share in the cost of that through insurance premiums. The more people hurt the more it costs the insurance companies which in turn raise our rates to pay for it. These special seatbelt enforcement campaigns are paid for through a state grant, which is tied to federal grant money. Remember when the alcohol level for a drunk driver was .10, now it's .08. The feds came in and said they would withhold highway grant money if the state didn't comply. Same thing here. The cops doing this are working overtime, paid for by the grant to specifically enforce traffic laws, nothing else. They still have the same number of police doing regular patrol work. Kansas Troopers responsibility is to patrol the interstate system for traffic violations, so they are doing their job. Try waking a parent up in the middle of the night to tell them their child has died for not wearing a seat belt..

Posted by: Tony Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Oh come on Police! Get a life! Why not try to arrest all of the drug dealers in plainview or the illegal's in north central and leave the rest of us tax paying americans alone! Its our choice not to use our seatbelts, its a personal decision that effects no one else but me! Why is this even a law? oh yea, lobbying insurance companies! Government, say out of my house, stay out of my car, stay out of my life!

Posted by: Justice for the Peaple Location: Land of OZ on May 16, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Follow a KS Trooper or Wichita Cop for a short time and see how many traffic laws that they break, it is PATHETIC!! Who are they trying to kid??

Posted by: Brenda Location: Wichita on May 16, 2008 at 08:36 AM
Quit whining about motorcyclists, what will you do next put a seatbelt on a bike and call it good. Just put on your seatbelt its not going to kill you.

Posted by: KS resident Location: KS resident on May 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Kansas Troopers - Go after some real criminals. Leave the good folks of KS alone.

Posted by: J Location: Wichita on May 15, 2008 at 09:59 PM
why do i have to wear a seat belt when motorcyclists aren't required to wear a helmet--double standard if you ask me.

Posted by: James Location: w on May 15, 2008 at 09:56 PM
It is illegal to pull someone over for no seatbelt; where is all the lib outcry about no probable cause; or profiling?

Posted by: Concerned Location: Wichita on May 15, 2008 at 09:39 PM
Why not be on the lookout of motorcyclist without helmets plaguing the ERS?

Posted by: No MORE NANNIES Location: Land of OZ on May 15, 2008 at 08:38 PM
It is ILLEGAL for anyone to be stopped for NOT WEARING A SEATBELT! Government has more important things to do like worry about natural warming of the planet over which it has NO CONTROL of either and just grips the socialist-liberal NANNIES because they can not control it.