Bucks for buckles looks to reinforce good seatbelt habits

State Farm and Safe Kids Kansas are partnering for the 16th year in the Bucks for Buckles program.

“Seat belts still remain the single most effective way to protect yourself during a crash,” said Cherie Sage with Safe Kids Kansas. “The reason why this is important is because, on average, we have 102 people die each day, every day, in this country, from motor vehicle crashes. That’s an average of one death every 14 minutes.”

Seat belts don’t just save lives, they also mitigate injury.

“They also reduce your chances of having a serious injury by as much as 50%,” said Sage. “That’s significant.”

According to the 2017 KDOT Seat Belt Survey, 88 percent of Kansans surveyed were wearing their seat belts.

“We have 51 cities,” said Sage. “We actually have 65 sites within those cities that are participating on selected dates. You don’t know the location, you don’t know where. That’s kind of the idea behind it. It is a surprise catching you doing what you do every day. They will be at intersections, parking lots, they might be at your McDonalds drive through even. If you and all of the occupants in your vehicle are buckled up properly, you get a buck. You get a reward. You get a thanks for doing the right thing.”

The campaign runs through September 8. Those riding unrestrained will receive educational materials about the effectiveness of seat belts and child safety seats in saving lives and reducing injuries.