Starting Saturday, the fine for not wearing a seat belt in Kansas will triple.
Kansas’ current seat belt fine -- $10 -- is one of the lowest in the country. State legislators passed a law this session raising the fine to $30.
Any passenger over 18 not wearing a seat belt when the car is in motion will be subject to the fine. Kansas is one of 34 states where police can issue tickets for seat belt violations without any other traffic offense taking place.
$20 out of the $30 dollars will go toward the newly created Seat Belt Safety Fund, which will support education programs about seat belt safety, including the Seatbelts Are For Everyone, or SAFE, program.
The bill was supported by representatives of AAA Kansas, the SAFE program, the Kansas Highway Patrol and other groups.
--Follow Nadya Faulx on Twitter @NadyaFaulx.
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