‘Bucks for Buckles’ to reward drivers using seatbelts

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Safe Kids Kansas, State Farm, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are partnering up for a safety belt awareness campaign that distributes dollar bills to drivers who are buckled up.

From Aug. 25 through Sept. 7, ‘Bucks for Buckles’ will be held in 41 cities across Kansas. Local volunteers will distribute an estimated $275-$300 during the event.

Kansas has seen a nearly 2% decline in seat belt usage from 2022 to 2023, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the state sits 5% below the national average for drivers wearing their seatbelts. Just last year, 339 people died on Kansas roadways, and 30% of those were unbuckled.

“No one can predict when they will be involved in a motor vehicle crash, yet almost all of us will be involved in a crash in our lifetime. In 2024, 339 people lost their lives on Kansas roadways, and approximately 30 percent were unbuckled*,” said Cherie Sage, State Director for Safe Kids Kansas. “The single most effective means of protecting the lives of you and your passengers is wearing seat belts and using appropriate child safety seats every time you ride in the vehicle – even short distances.”

For more information about when your city will be participating, visit SafeKidsKansas.

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