(MSC News)--The Kansas Highway Patrol will be joining several local law enforcement agencies in a stepped up enforcement around area high schools beginning Monday, February 20th through March 5th.

The Atchison and Brown County Sheriff's Departments along with Hiawatha, Horton and Seneca Police Departments are among law enforcement agencies that will be participating in the annual  “High Visibility Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign.”

According to Kansas Department of Transportation statistics, 13 teens lost their lives in 2015 due to car crashes.  Of those teens, 40 percent were not properly restrained.

KDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technology is spearheading the two-week awareness campaign in hopes of decreasing serious injuries and crash fatalities to teens by increasing seat belt usage.

Officers will be issuing citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for speeding, texting or failing to buckle up.