CDOT targets seat belt compliance with May campaign
(COLORADO) — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be enforcing its yearly seat belt campaign.
Starting Monday, May 13, ‘Click It or Ticket May Mobilization’ will be in effect for the remaining 21 days of the month. The campaign comes ahead of the summer travel season, which tends to lead to an increase in traffic crashes across the state.
With CDOT, Colorado State Patrol, and 60 participating law enforcement agencies cooperating statewide, drivers may notice an abundance of officers on highways and local streets.
According to the 2023 Colorado Statewide Seat Belt Survey, 88.6% of Coloradans use their seat belts, the highest on record.
All drivers and passengers are encouraged to buckle up to arrive home safely and avoid citations. Fines for not buckling up in Colorado start at $65. Parents and caregivers caught with a minor who is not wearing a seatbelt can receive a minimum fine of $82.
Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children under 13 years old. According to Chief of the Colorado State Patrol Matthew C. Packard, there were 200 fatal car crashes on Colorado roadways between June and August 2023.
“The unfortunate reality is that an impaired, aggressive, or distracted driver could disrupt your drive at any time,” said Packard. “Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash and reduce your chance of injury or death by up to 65%.”
Click It or Ticket is a nationwide campaign from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Since its introduction in Colorado in 2002, statewide seat belt use has increased from 72 percent to 88 percent.
In 2023, there were 223 unrestrained occupant fatalities in the state, an eight percent decrease from 2023. Since the start of 2024, there have been 63 unbuckled fatalities. Vehicle fatalities are expected to decrease as more Coloradans choose to buckle up.
“Most Coloradans are doing the right thing by wearing a seat belt,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Buckling up is the law. It also protects you from the extreme forces of a crash. Whether you’re the driver or a passenger, be sure to wear a seat belt and encourage others to do the same.”
Colorado seat belt laws require the driver and every front-seat passenger of a motor vehicle to wear a seatbelt whenever the vehicle is in operation on a street or highway. Law requires all children to be properly restrained, child passenger safety laws must also be followed to ensure a child is properly secured when riding in a motor vehicle.
For more information about buckling up, SeatBeltsColorado.com
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