KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting Monday it will cost you more for not buckling up in Kansas City, Mo. And police now don’t need a secondary violation like a speeding to pull you over and ticket you.
Drivers will pay $50 if cited for not buckling up instead of just a $10 fine.
Kansas City, Mo., police said they think the increased fines will make a significant difference in raising seat belt usage in the city. Currently, only an estimated 79 percent of people buckle up. That’s well below the 86 percent national average. Police said statistics show nearly seven out of 10 victims in fatality accidents weren’t wearing a seat belt. It said 20 Missouri cities already have ‘primary seat belt’ ordinances that allow them to cite drivers for simply not buckling up.
Monday also marks the start to the two week nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign. The Click it or Ticket campaign puts more officers on the road thanks to grants that pay for overtime. The campaign ends June 2.