During this week, officers from all around the Kansas City area will be patrolling around local high schools before and after school to talk to students about the importance of buckling up.

SRO Officer Rison said teens not buckling up have been a growing problem and needs to be accessed.

In the state of Kansas last year, a total of 51 teens died in car accidents. About 75 percent of those kids were not wearing a seatbelt. Over six thousand teens in our country were killed in accidents while not wearing seatbelts.

“I’m glad they are finally taking action,” said Rison. “This has been a law in Kansas for almost 2 years and kids are still taking huge risks.”

Although there may be tickets and citations handed out to teens, the Kansas City Kansas Police Department said that this is not about giving tickets but about educating teens about driver safety.

“Kids need to know the facts,” said Rison. “If they know what’s going on it could make the roads a safer place for everyone.”