The first seat belt enforcement period of 2024

In early April, CDOT, Colorado State Patrol and 36 local law enforcement agencies conducted the first Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement period of 2024. During the two-week period, law enforcement increased patrols and focused on issuing citations to drivers not wearing a seat belt.

Colorado’s seat belt use rate has improved in recent years — up nearly 2% from 2022. As of 2023, 88% of Coloradans buckle up — the highest rate observed in the past 10 years, according to the Colorado Statewide Seat Belt Survey. Colorado also saw improvements last year in unbuckled fatalities. In 2023, there were 223 unbuckled vehicle occupant fatalities, an 8% decrease from 2022.

Fines for not buckling up in Colorado start at $65, and parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child can receive a minimum fine of $82. More importantly, wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of severe injury or death by up to 65%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Click here to view CDOT’s newest seat belt PSAs, highlighting the most unforgiving laws of all — physics.