Welcome to another edition of issues Tony tan -- Steve Macintosh hard guest is Jim -- from Tripoli Kansas -- and Jim hasty Daria welcome to the show that the -- just a little bit about -- Kansas City -- mission statement order bureau tells about. Are you who you are and why you exist.
what are the -- are triple -- club exists I think primarily the enhanced value and safety and security. Convenience peace of mind those of the things that I think people think of AAA for. And our relationships with our members are really Paramount. You know -- really focus on that building lifelong relationships with our members. You know based on providing trusted advice. You know equality and exceptional customer service so that those things are really important those are kind of -- buzz words tell us about the did the services you provide the major. Parts in of course everybody I think thinks of us for automotive -- the roadside assistance services that we provide. We we also. Approve auto repair and body shop facilities around the state in the country. We provide all travel and travel agency related services. Insurance. Auto home life and health as well as some financial services like travel money and auto loans that kind of thing but you're explain to -- before -- nearly two and it's not it's not really a for profit business itself as a club you guys -- out to non for profit. Clubs part of a taxpaying federation of clubs that are around the country now. How many members do you do you have here -- Kansas actually the Missouri triple -- takes care of judges sacked Kansas City area of of a Kansas but between the two of us. There's cost close to 300000 members in Kansas now. All right and have a cross country its membership open to all crossed all of North America. I think it's as up to about 51 million members. Is the largest non religious. Membership organization of puzzles we leave the Catholic Church honesty --
Okay both continued well there you go to. We wanna focus today on them driving and of the tourist industry in Kansas. I know AAA has been active in promoting traffic safety including the use of seatbelts. Can you share any information about. And information that proves that using seatbelts actually saves lives.
Yeah there's actually been some studies on that I think I'm about 35000. People. Diane motor vehicle crashes each year believe it or not a nearly half of those. Could have been prevented if the victim had warned her seatbelt I mean that's that's actual research has been done by James Madison University. And then from 1975. To 2007. Nationally chartered kept tracking this for 32 years. Over that period of time almost a quarter million people. Passengers drivers and cars. There was have been -- car crashes it won't would have died if they hadn't been wearing her seat belt that's knits us statistics. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You know it really comes up to about. 151000 lives a year or saved -- seat belts. And I think that was the most cherish Nero that was tracked was 2007.
And yeah -- we cover traffic accidents in the news the end of sometimes people. People do die even though they do have their restraints on the net and -- the whole purposes just to help your chances to cancer it's really rare now than anybody gets -- you do hear these crashes sometimes -- mean actual point of impact not high impact crash. There's not much you can do that. Rarely does that happen most the time people are walking away if they've got their seatbelts or. I know that we you share statistics about seat belt usage how -- authorities actually measure for estimate seat belt usage Jim.
Yeah that's really uninteresting. It's all done -- Kansas. Financial T who works for that DC CCA and he's based in Lawrence that they see that it's they follow guidelines that are prescribed for Biden it's the reason that's that done is so that. You know it's done the same way in every state so they can compare state usage rates and what they do is say they pick these 33. Largest counties in the state. Are those released as the 33 carries that contained 85% of the State's population and then. From there they just they they randomly select twenty counties they always try to include -- you know Sedgwick Shoney's Johnson. Those but -- they they get a lot of the rural counties to. Look at it and they take ten different road types including. In concluded in -- sample pool. And that includes urban and rural interstates urban rural major and minor collectors and arterial roads are kind of thing. But the point of that is that the you know they don't use gravel roads and back.
Back grows but rather road types of actually have traffic and -- from that -- they do the samples they do about 540. Sites randomly distributed across all seven days of the week. From seven to seven. And them in morning evening and observers actually stand by the roadside. At these observational science and record the belt use of the driver whose agenda is looking to vehicles and Obama -- that's brands sophisticated the worst is over the last day I asked them about that as what about my driving is -- well you know they actually. You know what can use night goggle vision. Things that you're -- Determine but. How does Kansas rank against other states and Ireland comes to seat belt usage and I think now were ranked about 42. In the country for a seat belt usage we had some really good news yesterday. Last year we heard about 77%. And we got about a 5% -- now -- up close to 82%. That's officially announced yesterday. The 42 -- how many states are announced -- listed at plus the district of Columbia's to have some repair pretty much near the bottom that yeah yeah -- you know part of the problem is. A lot of people drive pickup trucks for your hand. You know -- probably though the worst offender of not worth of pick up or erase Steve Bell is. Young male driver driving a pickup truck that's the lowest usage. A demographic on seatbelts.
Chris history what does that then did as well as we measure as we estimated. What is -- Kansas county for seatbelt usage in which county comes in the worst.
Well I've -- I'm not sure we really know that because we don't really you know chart every county I know I know Sedgwick county is one of the highest I would be glad to know that. At least in terms of we we know that. They use seatbelts. Usage rates and for use drivers. Cedric is actually one of the better counties in this in the states so. That's a good news things and you know -- rural counties where there's a lot of farmed -- count on probably usage goes down a little bit yeah and actually there's a war all of there's a wonderful wonderful seat belt program geared towards the -- in Crawford county now and it it started there. Because Crawford can only when was -- to be that. The worst county in the state and they've they've really decided to get after it and now there yeah. There right up they went from like 55 -- to seven the 2% now that amount just on the other UC belies what assumed. What is Tripoli doing two promote the use of seatbelts in Kansas. Well this say this a program mentioned Crawford county is called seatbelts are for everyone SA FE or safe. We helped with the funding of prizes. In the school for the kids that the pledged to wear their seat belt. And that's really proved to be effective down there it's it's already one. Kate -- and it probably is gonna win some national awards here for its effectiveness and raising sea -- were involved in funding that program and and the first. The first year was -- eight. We funded again. Last year along with about five or six other counties including. The -- city of police department which are gone after close by. Most of the counties that we work with so -- southeast Kansas but now for 2010 here this fall were gonna be working with as many as. Sixteen counties around the states and British gradually trying to. Get this program and as many if not all of the counties in Kansas had do we we have a new C bill on Kansas I believe at least in change a little bit to talk about settle ultimately. Yeah. It is of primary is called primary enforcement seat belt that just simply means that. Law enforcement can't stop you for not wearing your seat belt you know that before they had to stop you for something else and he didn't have your seatbelt on he might get a ticket but. Yeah it went into effect June 30. And it's again believes that. The seat belt -- should go up something along the order of nine or 10%. By having a primary enforcement. Of law enforcement has an awful lot to do this Steve SOA. We think that that will will help reduce the number of fatalities. It's against thinks maybe as many as 25 lives can be saved. As many as 260. Some odd injuries. Years just on having a primary enforcement. But the interesting thing is -- and I think five dollar addition how silly it probably enable find politically to put things through yeah I think that's probably correct it does doubled to 1010 dollars next year at the same time. You'll finds our view whether we like it or not our our deterrent you know I mean they've really help. Race seat belt usage to feed people know there's going to be a fine and so. Hopefully you know -- will be able to so.
Seems so strange to me because just it just 20/20 five years ago my family and I recited an okay we're gonna start using these. Yeah and after a -- yourself in just stopped for getting Emmys and plus. The Karzai get capitals the little putting on the dashboard does is take your seatbelts on a prize there's every reason to buckle up I asked well eventually you know the car -- do is build us you know look at -- automatically and if you don't Belton and give you electric shock drive. These figures are ultimately got. How do child seats in child restraints figure into this picture of Jim.
You know that child restraint use is it's it really interest in state. It's it's very high. Among you know you're infants to four years old is almost a 100%. And then as you get in the older ages four aid and then. Eight to 1010 to fourteen -- against all that begins to drop to the point word gets down to about. A whole you know fifty or 60%. With highs in some of our rural counties. -- seat belt usage is and blows 2030%. You know so it starts out real good with the use of child passenger seats and then it just. Starts dropping office as kids get a little bit older so I guess parents -- careless now and from firsthand knowledge and tell you those kids -- can be terribly difficult to install yeah. We're gonna -- get help on net. Well -- you know here in in Sedgwick county. There are a number of places that you can go. -- police department Wesley medical senator via Christi. The Kansas Highway Patrol troop. On the east 45 street north. The child care association which volume in the Sedgwick county fire department those are all places that are regularly do. Fittings and show people how to put seatbelts and and I think you could call any of those places and find out. You know when there's going to be a check lane or if they would you know you they could cut if you could come by their place and get a fitting.
You're listening to issues 2010 on the Entercom radio stations and our guest this week is Jim Haney from a triple -- Kansas. You wanna talk about a little more about -- tourism now and that's a big part of triple a.'s mission and can you share some trends on lodging in Kansas in other words. Where are people staying in and what are they spending per night and maybe don't know but I tell nosy about this.
Let's -- actually you know with the state really doesn't track lodging numbers we don't track from look state by state basis we do. We do know. We do a survey at. Memorial Day and again for the July and probably again here around the holidays. On on whether rates for hotels are going up or down how much people spending. Yes she contracted rates -- out and I think you're you're you're probably on average. Nationwide you're going to be somewhat. A slightly under. A hundred dollars for two diamond. Rated hotels three diamond hotels might be a little bit more than that. But we noticed that rates have really even out as an end if anything dropped over the past. Here because of the economy. And the other thing is that them far and away the least expensive place in the country to travel is in the midwest here around. In Wichita Kansas. You know just our region. Is absolutely the most economical place to travel -- hotel rates are much lower. You know cost of Zion and and to be entertainers is so much lower than anyplace else.
Go back to a new when I was a kid traveling and we did tried a lot of trailing my dad would drive 500 miles and -- say all right. That was like a good place a stop -- today you do you go on the Internet right right and yeah and you tracked everywhere you go on -- to be there I find the best trait that's right put that -- and it is says that it boosts competition.
Really really you know one thing we we have now one thing we've tracked. Is how many people come in our offices and get trip -- which are the little. Travel routing and and yeah okay we've had a 4% year over year increase in that. Last year at this time trip -- requests from our members. Was down 15% so that's a really positive sign I think that people are getting mountain you know. There's a lot of pent up demand to go travel why how has a recession affected Kansas travelers the past two years well mote mostly what we're hearing from you know the Kansas department of travel and terrorism. Is that travel has remained flat for. Four the most part and really hasn't hurt Kansas terms tourism as much as it has hurt some of the other states. That there are a lot more last minute trips people just say let you know let's get up and go hmm. And we've had. Well you know and it slight increase in. Attraction ticket orders. Who we continue to do really well with. Disney tickets because triple -- members to save up to 30% on. And a three to ten day tickets but but buying them at triple -- you avoid waiting in line for tickets when you get to the park -- well there's also this -- thing it. Universal Studios in Orlando so lot of people are going down there is called the wonderful. World excuse me the wizard in wonder of Harry Potter.
I know Harry Potter itself and everybody's going down there to see when you've got a website. Yeah Wednesday AA dot com and would do you know he views he she you gotta Google's the drive detection. 88 Kansas you're gonna find it right engines is it something that -- lot of good information there or do you have to be a member of -- to really know this good stuff monitor the other there's there are. Member services that you can access on there you know through your membership number and password all that but there's a lot of other good things that people can find out. What he remembered not in you can get. AAA maps dot com and other place you can get mapping America. Not when someone is planning a road trip many destinations have. What should they put on their checklist of things to do. While I think you'll make sure the dogs danger yeah. Well I think actually there is a checklist on our website computer does it you know but I think the number one thing is you know don't wait to the last minute and and I know lot of people have to -- It's great to Leo great idea to plan ahead you know. Gosh I used to do the planning and I was a kid and our family and and I just loved that I mean that was the the thing that I look forward to you I got. Most of the fun you know it is his plan and that trip you know also plan ahead. And and then or weaken our travel counselors give you a lot of good ideas and things to think about. At a minimum you can get reservations made by our people and and you can get a lot of discounts on hotels -- And that kind of thing that you know think about you know getting your travel money ahead of time. We've got some of the we can get foreign currency for you to. At a real good price so I think it's it's just great to try to take care those things as much. At a time when talk about to young people Kansas young people their driver's license because I know did you. We talked several months ago you were active in trying to upgrade driver's licensing for Kansas young people tell us about this is that you had with that.
Well it really was Steve. We we were able to we went from him one of the worst driver licensing systems in the whole country. To now what I think maybe one of the best what and the things that were added were removed from a six month learners permit to a one year learners permit. That way kids are getting experience with a supervising adult -- year round not just six months is revered as you know driving is different. As perilous times a year teacher or driving and -- Driving a gravel road versus asphalt Rosen and the ice in the winner so that's a really good thing that'll reduce crashes and then the other thing is. Before they are totally unrestricted they have to. A remain restrictor for six months what after they get their full license as it relates to nighttime driving after 9 o'clock. And there are still limited to only having one passenger in the car when there. Wondered of their first six months than driving those things in -- proven to have the biggest effect on kids when they're getting that experts and learn -- drive so. Battle and of course the wireless communication device restriction that's been helpful to. And and we're gonna start chart next year and in in 2012. The effects of that licensing we hope that there are no more changes that system for awhile so we can really see what the benefits of --
This -- few months ago in order to save money in our UST 259 -- school district. And -- to save money the government the driver's Ed program and so I hit editorialized against that a couple times I knew what if I knew they had pressure and they didn't wanna get rid of it but they did because it had to save some money. Talk about drivers and I happen to get my opinion is it if he which should be mandatory. Yeah but bill another other people feel that way -- well.
you know if the kids don't get. The driver education and school. You reading writing arithmetic in all of the things that that are you know we've put all -- emphasis on which you know whereas we should. That the kids are gonna survive you know they'll do you spend all your time raising these youngsters can you get him to the threshold of a -- And then he reached the riskiest time of their lives for their learned how to drive. And it really is the driver education is is life. And it just it's that the two things that are most important are having a good robust driver education program. And and then the experience that you get during those graduated licensing system does require about off. Those two things together do more to give your chance that your team a chance to survive. Into adulthood and -- you know if anything we ought to be looking at making driver education more robust and interesting thing I found that we can you asked me about this here today. I was I looked into it. We actually collect by statute about four million dollars a year. From drivers lashes registrations -- one off the supposed to go of a percentage of that -- all of that is supposed to go. To. Driver education and our schools and yet almost three out of there. Four million dollars is siphoned off. You know general state fund uses which is not what the law and candidates so the state is left with. Spreading. One point one million dollars that's left. Over the 161000 students a complete driver education which is only about seventy dollars per student. And if all of that money that four million was allowed to go to driver's -- we have posted 250 dollars -- and we could provide that all the kids below the --
Money is here are just being spent for this thing passed by statute now -- movements I think you need to start a publicity campaign as we go into -- the next legislative slipped and let's talk a little bit about gasoline prices. What's in the history of gas prices in Kansas over the past year.
Well it's been pretty stable thankfully I mean if you look at gas prices a year ago. They were between two dollars and four -- dollars and fifty cents again. One -- not that far from that right now. They're a little high right now. But. You know I think most of its due to this summer driving you know we have worked time and our peak season. All of the indicators right now -- don't point. Up on on gas prices the economy is really there in the tank if any thing. That whatever is fueling so to speak gas prices going up. It must be happening from economies around the world and happening here. Immediately when you get into recession one of the good things is that people don't drive as much as true yes for the domain -- and that's exactly right. Human Torre's. Are still fairly high you know so the fundamentals really don't. Show that gas prices should be going up a lot and I think we are probably just in this summer driving season right now what's new and exciting -- All boy -- there there is so much going on that and and going to go on -- really excited about. The future what we're doing I think. You know well one of the things that were in the middle of this call on the go service and you see these AAA battery trucks around town. We actually won't go out and if you if you wanna have your battery checked will. Will look at your charging system not just the battery but the you know the cables in the alternate are all left to see you know if everything's working properly if you if your battery is dead or for looks like it's really on the -- what are we can replace the battery. On the spot so really proud of that service -- a good one keeps people from wasting time -- in and that kind of thing in the -- with the battery and right there. At the scene Kerry -- Oh gosh yeah. We we have a thing called. Best price guarantee in our travel service guarantee an air travel agency were really excited about that. We have a new premier membership category it provides a lot of higher services and travel and 200 mile -- that kind of thing free battery when you haven't installed. We're just really kind of a one stop travel shop anymore.
in -- thing -- it's like present and everything go to our website yep that's right that's what we got through it and what is caught in triple a there's just AA Kansas. Just AA dot com older 41 Rollins thank you for your time we're out of time and thanks -- for being with the end. We appreciate coming out from -- and talk enters its great to see you and Steve thanks for the time our guest is Jim -- from -- Kansas and that's all for this edition of issues 2010. Wilma -- will be back next week thank you for listing I'm Steve Macintosh.
