Colorado Springs has highest Click It or Ticket citations in the state

Posted: Jun 22, 2022 / 05:50 PM MDT

Updated: Jun 22, 2022 / 05:50 PM MDT

COLORADO SPRINGS — The May ‘Click It or Ticket’ enforcement period cited 907 drivers, which resulted in costly fines – but more importantly a reminder to always use seat belts.

From May 16 to June 5, CDOT, Colorado State Patrol and 64 law enforcement agencies partnered for the year’s largest Click It or Ticket enforcement period. A total of 907 drivers were cited during the statewide enforcement, including 24 drivers who had an improperly restrained child under the age of 15 in their car.

Colorado Springs issued the most citations, with 141 drivers cited, followed by Thornton Police Department with 95, Broomfield Police Department with 77, and Castle Rock Police Department with 76.

Currently, only 86% of Coloradans choose to buckle up behind the wheel, making the state fall short of the average seat belt use rate across the country — 90%.

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 — All drivers under 18 years old and their passengers, regardless of their age, must 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.

From 2016 to 2020, 35 children under the age of 14 were killed in passenger vehicle crashes in Colorado. Among these, more than half were in an improperly used or installed car seat — or no car seat at all.

“We step up seat belt enforcement as an important deterrent for unbuckled drivers,” said Chief Matthew C. Packard with Colorado State Patrol. “The same people who make a choice to gamble with their lives in the event of a crash, offer up all sorts of excuses as a law enforcement officer writes up their citations. Our hope is that it serves as a reminder to wear a seat belt every time.”