Statewide seat belt enforcement cites 1,695 drivers for not buckling up
Traffic Safety Pulse News
With Coloradans starting to travel more, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and 59 law enforcement agencies across Colorado teamed up for a statewide Click It or Ticket enforcement from July 12-19. A total of 1,695 drivers were cited during the enforcement for either the driver or passengers not wearing a seat belt. This includes 70 drivers who had an improperly restrained child under the age of 15 in their vehicle.
The Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement is a critical component of CDOT's Whole System — Whole Safety initiative and the agency’s vision to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on Colorado roadways.
Among the agencies with the highest number of citations statewide was the Loveland Police Department with 173 citations, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office with 158 citations, and Greeley Police Department with 129 citations. In addition, Colorado State Patrol cited 153 drivers. Results for all counties can be found at https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal
Fines for not buckling up start at $65, and parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child can receive a minimum fine of $82.
“Using a seat belt is your best defense in a crash. It’s an easy choice to protect yourself and those in your vehicle,” said CDOT Communications Manager Sam Cole. “Statistics show there’s a 1 in 33 chance you’ll be in a car crash in a given year and wearing a seat belt is the best way to prevent injury or death.”
In 2019, 196 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed in crashes in the state, accounting for more than half of Colorado’s 377 total passenger vehicle deaths.
“So many lives could be saved if every person buckled up,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the CSP. “This summer and beyond, we hope Coloradans think about the risk of not wearing a seat belt. I assure you, it’s not worth the gamble. It only takes a second to buckle up, but the impact is immeasurable when considering lives are at stake.”
CDOT’s latest seat belt safety campaign, Common Bond, features a variety of contrasting images to underscore that, even though Coloradans may listen to different music, drive different cars, or root for different teams, a vast majority do wear their seat belts.
As a state, Colorado’s seat belt use rate currently sits at 88% — slightly below the national average of 90%. The Common Bond campaign highlights that while Coloradans hold passionate opinions and may not agree on everything, we can all get behind seat belts.
CDOT’s Common Bond campaign is featured on billboards, posters, bus tails, social media, and radio PSAs into August.
Colorado’s Seat Belt Laws
- Adults — Colorado has a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers. Drivers can be ticketed for violating the seat belt law if they are stopped for another traffic violation.
- Teens— Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) law requires all drivers under 18 and their passengers, regardless of their age, to wear seat belts. This is a primary enforcement, meaning teens can be pulled over simply for not wearing a seat belt or having passengers without seat belts.
- Children— Colorado's Child Passenger Safety law is a primary enforcement, meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child under age 16 in the vehicle.
Learn more about Click It or Ticket enforcement and Colorado’s seat belt laws at codot.gov/safety/seatbelts.
ABOUT CLICK IT OR TICKET
Click It or Ticket is a nationwide campaign from NHTSA. Since Click It or Ticket was introduced in Colorado in 2002, statewide seat belt use has increased from 72% to 88%.
