Buckle up: Seat belt check scheduled for March 9 The Kansas Highway Patrol demonstrates a car roll for a group of students Thursday. The demonstration shows what could happen if people do not wear their seat belts while driving. - Ana Ribeiro Friday, March 02, 2012 By Shelby Carpenter Advertising      Maize will participate in its first school-wide seat belt sweep March 9 to prepare for the upcoming prom season and to help raise awareness of the importance of driving safety.      In 2010, 51 Kansas teenager drivers died in motor vehicle accidents, with 74 percent of those teens not properly restrained.       “What kids need to realize is that seatbelts do save lives,” said Tom Flint, USD 266 police chief.      The Kansas Highway Patrol and campus police will stop students and staff as they arrive at school March 9. They will check drivers and passengers to verify proper transportation regulations have been met.        “I’m hoping that zero people get tickets,” Maize principal Mike Bonner said. “I’m also hoping that everyone wears their seat belts, not only this one day but every day. When I was a kid, no one wore seatbelts. But hopefully, kids are growing up and people are having that habit of putting it on.”       The KHP hosted a seat belt sweep on Feb. 2 at Northwest High School and issued 28 citations, television station KAKE reported on its website.

Back to the articles list