Campaign to Target Teen Seat Belt Use Begins this Week

KSMU | By Michele Skalicky

Published March 14, 2019 at 7:46 AM CDT

Teen seat belt use will be the focus of a campaign that starts this weekend in Missouri. According to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, law enforcement will be out “in full force” March 15-31 to remind teenagers to buckle up.

The national average for seat belt use is 90 percent. In Missouri it’s 87 percent, but for teens in the state it’s 74 percent.

Out of 88 teens killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2017, 77 were vehicle occupants and 54 of them—or 70 percent) weren’t buckled up.

Missouri doesn’t have a primary seat belt law, so drivers can’t be ticketed for not wearing a safety belt unless they’re pulled over for another reason.

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Michele Skalicky

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.

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