Law Enforcement Begins Nighttime Seat Belt Enforcement Today

STATEWIDE—The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol and law enforcement agencies in 11 counties in Colorado will support the Click It or Ticketcampaign to save lives by increasing seat belt use, particularly at nighttime. Increased traffic enforcement will take place between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. from July 22 to July 28in the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld.

“Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to prevent serious injuries and save people from dying in motor vehicle crashes,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. “It takes just two seconds to protect yourself. It’s a no-brainer.”

Nighttime seat belt enforcement is a priority for the Click It or Ticket campaign, as nighttime passenger vehicle occupants are least likely to buckle up and most likely to die in crashes when unrestrained. In 2012, there 83 drivers and passengers killed in crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. who weren’t wearing their seat belts compared to 76 people in the daytime.

“Law enforcement will be out in force during the evenings conducting heightened enforcement with the goal of saving lives,” said Colonel Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “We’ve seen one too many unnecessary deaths that could have been avoided by wearing a seat belt, which is why this campaign is so important to us.”

Last year during the nighttime Click It or Ticket enforcement period, 1858 seat belt violations were issued. For more information on seat belt citation data online, visit www.SeatBeltsColorado.com and click on Seat Belt Enforcement Reporting in Quick Links.