Survey Shows Child Seat Belt Use Improving in Kansas

A survey shows that new safety restraint mandates in Kansas have helped boost compliance among children.

A study by the Kansas Department of Transportation found that 75 percent of passengers younger than 14 were protected by an appropriate safety seat or belt. That’s up from last year’s 68 percent and well above the 55 percent reported five years ago.

The report showed 93 percent of children 4 years old and younger were properly restrained and 63 percent of children 10 to 14 were buckled.

Reno County had the best compliance at 89 percent. Montgomery County’s 49 percent was lowest.

The state passed a booster-seat law in 2006 and added a seat-belt measure targeting teens in 2007.

KDOT Secretary Deb Miller said while the findings are encouraging, but she’s still not satisfied