Kansas considers bill to raise seat belt fines 500 percent — to $60

There is not much legal incentive to wear a seat belt in Kansas.

Sure, police can pull you over and write you a ticket if you’re not wearing a belt. But at $10, the fine barely equals the cost of lunch.

It is the lowest fine for a seat belt violation in the country, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration is backing a Senate bill that would increase the fine to $60, which would make it higher than at least half the states.

The bill has the support of the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Highway Patrol and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The bill is estimated to raise $1.2 million, of which about 5 percent would go toward promoting seat belt use for children.

This story was originally published February 4, 2015 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Kansas considers bill to raise seat belt fines 500 percent — to $60."