Traffic tickets in Wichita: Crunching the numbers
Wichita police officers kept busy in 2014, writing thousands of traffic and parking tickets to drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The Eagle annually obtains a full list of the citations from Wichita Municipal Court for the prior year and analyzes the data. The numbers can identify trends in traffic enforcement and problem spots, like where drivers ignored red lights and stop signs most often.
It also can be used for less serious things, like answering “What day of the week do police write the most tickets and the fewest?” (Thursday is the most; Sunday the fewest) and “What was the top speed recorded?” (116 mph).
Below, you’ll find some facts about the traffic tickets written in 2014 and general information about the people cited.
You also can do your own research using The Eagle’s searchable traffic ticket databases.
Tickets by the numbers: Wichita police wrote more than 75,000 tickets between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014, to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists moving within Wichita city limits. The tickets contained 93,620 violations for about 350 different charges.
Most of the tickets were written for one violation. The others had two or more. The ticket with the most charges —12 — was written to a man stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence at 6500 E. 29th St. North.
People were ticketed most often for: Speeding, with 24,673 violations. Kellogg and its frontage roads accounted for about a quarter of violations. Other trouble spots for speeding include Hillside just north of Wichita State University and at 9800 W. Central outside Peterson Elementary School.
The next most-common crimes were no proof of insurance (7,041); adult seat belt violations (5,668); no driver’s license (5,315); and parking on a private lot (3,244). Police wrote 34 citations for texting while driving.
Busiest day: Thursday. The fewest tickets were written on Sunday.
Most-ticketed age group: Twenty-somethings. They racked up a third of the charges in cases where municipal court provided an age for the defendant.
People in their 30s, the second most-ticketed group, had about 21 percent of the charges. Teens had about 10 percent.
The oldest person ticketed was 103. He was caught without a seat belt and making an improper left turn at Broadway and Kellogg Drive on July 12, 2014. His fine? $107.
Racial and ethnic breakdown: Of people cited, two-thirds were white; 15.6 percent were black; 2.4 percent were Asian or Pacific Islanders; and .35 percent were Native American or Alaskan. The race of nearly 15 percent was unknown.
Ethnicity-wise, 12.9 percent of violations were given to Hispanics and 56.9 percent were given to non-Hispanics. The rest had no ethnicity listed.
Where to look for more information: Check out the 2014 Wichita police traffic ticket database here. You can search by name, street, ticket type and other fields. Search more than 600,000 tickets that resulted in convictions between 2005 and 2013 here.
You can also use the interactive map below to see the Top 10 areas in town where people were caught running red lights, running stop signs, speeding on streets other than Kellogg and its frontage roads, committing parking violations and racking up DUI-related charges.
Amy Renee Leiker: 316-268-6644, @amyreneeleiker
Most common charges on traffic citations
These are the most common moving violations and a selection of other types of violations cited on Wichita police tickets in 2014. The total number of violations citywide and the fine amounts for each type of violation are listed.
Moving violations
Charge | Total | Fine |
Speeding over the limit | 19,350 | $67 plus $5 for every 1 mph over the limit |
No proof of insurance | 7,041 | No charge if proof is shown |
Seat belt violation, adult | 5,668 | $10 |
No driver’s license | 5,315 | No charge if proof of valid license is shown |
Speeding –30 mph | 3,174 | $67 plus $5 for every 1 mph over the limit |
Inattentive driving | 3,123 | $127 |
Expired tag | 2,911 | $102 |
Drive while suspended or revoked | 2,746 | Court appearance required |
Run stop sign | 2,073 | $97 |
Defective headlight | 1,889 | No charge if repaired and approved by Wichita police |
Improper right turn | 1,827 | $97 |
Run red light | 1,443 | $172 |
Tag light violation | 1,233 | No charge if repaired and approved by Wichita police |
Improper left turn | 1,112 | $97 |
Light required during certain hours | 1,100 | $97 |
Driving under the influence, incapable of safe operation | 973 | Court appearance required |
Other violations
Charge | Total | Fine |
Non-meter parking violation | 10,899 | $30 |
Meter violation | 5,151 | $15 |
Pedestrian violation | 618 | $87 |
Handicapped parking violation | 603 | $100 |
Bicycle violation | 179 | $87 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
By the numbers: Seat belt and child restraint violations
Charge | Total |
Seat belt required, 18 or older | 5,668 |
Child restraint for 4-7 years old | 168 |
Seat belt required, 14-17 years old | 137 |
Child restraint for under 4 years old | 135 |
Child restraint for 8-14 years old | 63 |
Seat belt required | 7 |
All charges citywide: | 6,178 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Driving under the influence
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 2,025 |
1 | Douglas and Washington | 30 |
2 | Second and Washington | 16 |
3 | Rock Road and Kellogg Drive | 13 |
4 | 200 S. Washington | 12 |
5 | 7900 W. 21st St. | 12 |
6 | First and Washington | 10 |
7 | 31st Street South and Seneca | 10 |
8 | Mid-Continent Road and Kellogg Drive | 10 |
9 | 2500 N. Rock Rd. | 9 |
10 | 21st and Rock Road | 9 |
Central and Rock Road | 9 | |
Pawnee and Broadway | 9 | |
K-96 ramp and Oliver | 9 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Parking violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 10,899 |
1 | 214 S. Broadway | 1,939 |
2 | 100 N. Broadway | 471 |
3 | 215 N. Mosley | 353 |
4 | 2299 S. Airport Road | 326 |
5 | 323 N. Mead | 324 |
6 | 222 E. Elm | 292 |
7 | 200 E. Douglas | 261 |
8 | 100 N. Topeka | 233 |
9 | 411 S. Broadway | 211 |
10 | 232 N. Mead | 173 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Speeding (other than Kellogg or its frontage roads)
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 18,675 |
1 | 7600 W. 21st St. | 424 |
2 | 9800 W. Central | 373 |
3 | 2300 N. Hillside | 323 |
4 | 10000 W. Central | 307 |
5 | 700 N. Interstate 235 | 301 |
6 | 2100 S. Broadway | 257 |
7 | 4300 E. 13th St. | 238 |
8 | 2000 S. Broadway | 232 |
9 | 8000 W. 21st St. | 228 |
10 | 600 S. Webb | 216 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Red light violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citwide | 1,664 |
1 | 31st Street North and Broadway | 40 |
2 | Douglas and Topeka | 40 |
3 | Central and Gilda | 31 |
4 | Broadway and Kellogg Drive | 30 |
5 | Central and Ridge | 24 |
6 | Oliver and Kellogg Drive | 24 |
7 | Main and Kellogg Drive | 24 |
8 | Pawnee and Seneca | 21 |
9 | Pawnee and Meridian | 19 |
10 | Male and Ridge | 18 |
Broadway and Murdock | 18 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Stop sign violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 2,027 |
1 | 18th and Arkansas | 109 |
2 | Rosalie and Zimmerly | 100 |
3 | 18th and Porter | 87 |
4 | Hillside and Ross Parkway | 67 |
5 | 25th Street North and Pershing | 53 |
6 | West Street and Westdale | 52 |
7 | Mellor and Webb | 43 |
8 | Morris and Rutan | 38 |
9 | 27th Street South and Glenn | 35 |
10 | Harry and Grove | 34 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Pedestrian violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 618 |
1 | 500 N. Broadway | 49 |
2 | West Street and Kellogg Drive | 35 |
3 | Topeka and Kellogg Drive | 34 |
4 | 600 S. Greenwich | 23 |
5 | Murdock and Waco | 22 |
6 | Dugan and Kellogg Drive | 18 |
7 | 700 N. Waco | 17 |
8 | South Seneca and West Kellogg Ramp | 14 |
9 | Greenwich and Kellogg Drive | 11 |
10 | Market and Kellogg Drive | 9 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
By the numbers: Bicycle violations
Charge | Total |
Bike lights certain hours | 132 |
Bike - observe traffic regulations | 31 |
Bike over 5 inches from curb | 4 |
Bike - signal turn | 2 |
Bike - signal of turn required | 2 |
Bike impede traffic | 2 |
All other bike violations | 6 |
All charges citywide: | 179 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Meter violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 5,151 |
1 | 455 N. Main | 2,144 |
2 | 300 S. Main | 340 |
3 | 100 S. Main | 333 |
4 | 200 S. Main | 256 |
5 | 100 E. William | 206 |
6 | 300 E. William | 194 |
7 | 200 N. Market | 155 |
8 | 200 E. First St. | 136 |
9 | 100 W. First St. | 96 |
10 | 400 N. Market | 95 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
Top spots: Handicapped parking violations
Rank | Location | Total |
All | Citywide | 603 |
1 | 3333 E. Central | 37 |
2 | 505 N. Rock Road | 23 |
3 | 7700 E. Kellogg Dr. | 19 |
4 | 200 S. Topeka | 16 |
5 | 929 N. Saint Francis | 16 |
6 | 501 E. Pawnee | 15 |
7 | 214 S. Broadway | 13 |
8 | 999 N. Silver Springs Blvd. | 13 |
9 | 9150 W. 21st St. | 13 |
10 | 5500 E. Harry | 9 |
Source: Wichita Municipal Court
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Traffic tickets in Wichita: Crunching the numbers."