Get paid for buckling up in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) -- A program that pays people a buck for buckling up is starting again this weekend. "Bucks for Buckles" will run in 46 cities across Kansas from Saturday, Aug. 24, through Labor Day and end on Sept. 8.

Safe Kids Kansas, sponsored in part by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, State Farm and the Kansas Department of Transportation are partnering on the program that encourages families to buckle up and drive safely.

Volunteers will give dollar bills to drivers with all occupants buckled up securely in their vehicles. Those riding unrestrained will receive educational materials about the effectiveness of seat belts and child safety seats in saving lives and reducing injuries.

“No one can predict when they will be involved in a motor vehicle crash, yet almost all of us will be involved in an automobile crash in our lifetime," Cherie Sage, Safe Kids Kansas, said in a news release. "In 2023, 387 people lost their lives on Kansas roadways, and nearly 35 percent were unbuckled. The single most effective means of protecting the lives of you and your passengers is wearing seat belts and using appropriate child restraints every time you ride in the vehicle – even short distances.”

Safe Kids Kansas says Kansas drivers aren't as good as the rest of the country about wearing seat belts. A 2022 KDOT survey found that 87% of Kansans wear their seat belts, while a federal study showed the national average is 91%. Kansas ranked 38th in belt use in 2021 among 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Sage says seat belts save more than 15,000 lives yearly and are the best defense against drunk, aggressive and distracted drivers. She said they also reduce your chance of serious injury by as much as 50%.

“It’s such a simple thing, so take your life into your own hands and buckle up," Sage said.