Sat, Nov 07 2009
|
|
Published March 25, 2009 09:55 pm - PITTSBURG, Kan. — Lives are at stake, officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation said Thursday during a meeting for discussion of the low rate of seat-belt usage among residents in Southeast Kansas. Southeast Kansas rates low for seat-belt usage By Andra Bryan Stefanoni
news@joplinglobe.com PITTSBURG, Kan. — Lives are at stake, officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation said Thursday during a meeting for discussion of the low rate of seat-belt usage among residents in Southeast Kansas. The region has a 56 percent usage rate, compared with the state average of 77 percent, said KDOT’s Dave Corp. “Our compliance rate is the lowest or one of the lowest in the state, and that’s unacceptable,” said Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton. According to numbers released by KDOT, two-thirds of those who die in traffic crashes in Kansas aren’t wearing seat belts. Members of the Pittsburg, Frontenac and Girard police departments, the Pittsburg State University campus force, and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department attended the meeting at Memorial Auditorium. They were on hand to learn what can be done to encourage people to buckle up and to hear the results of earlier efforts. Some strides have been made in the past year through the implementation of a student-driven campaign, Seatbelts Are For Everyone, or SAFE, Corp said. KDOT officials also presented a leadership award to John Keene of the Kansas Highway Patrol for helping implement SAFE with Horton and 31 students from the county’s six high schools. Through the use of pledge cards and prizes, the campaign has raised seat-belt usage among Crawford County teens by 8 percent and, at two schools, by 17 percent compared with last fall’s rates, according to Horton. Students did observational surveys at their high schools before and after implementing the SAFE educational campaign. “When you say 17 percent, that means 17 out of 100 students that if they were in a crash, would have a much better chance of surviving,” Horton said. The enforcement phase of the campaign began this week, and while some citations have been written, “the rate is nowhere near where it was last year,” Horton said. In addition to law-enforcement personnel, those in attendance included representatives of city and county governments, Pittsburg Mayor Pam Henderson, Crawford County Commissioners Ralph McGeorge and Linda Grilz, and members of the business community — all of whom Corp invited because he said they play a role in saving lives. “Every time we raise a percentage, you can bet that three or four more people will be alive in our state,” Corp said. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Local News section
Convict back behind bars after bogus release OK Freeman contract changes stem from internal audit Kansas consumer advocates scrutinize Empire rates case Jasper man accused of online trafficking in child pornography |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
Fire that damages detached garage under investigation
 |
 |
: Special Offer For New Subscribers
:
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
