April 4 kicks off first Click It or Ticket enforcement period of 2022

COLORADO (KRDO) -- Beginning Monday, April 4, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol, and 33 law enforcement agencies across the state will begin the first seat belt enforcement period of 2022.

"These enforcement periods help save lives, and if you and your passengers aren’t taking your safety seriously, a ticket is our way of saying that we do,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, in a press release. “A citation serves as an important reminder that wearing your seat belt may one day save your life. We want everyone to stop the cycle of driving without this standard protection - buckle up every trip for the people you love.”

According to CDOT, 232 passenger vehicle occupants were killed on Colorado roads in 2021, a 12% increase from 2020.

According to the 2021 State of Colorado Statewide Seat Belt Survey, Colorado's seat belt use rate is 86%, far below the national average of 90%.

Additionally, a 2020 National Occupant Protection Survey determined seat belt use in the front seats was lower for males than for females.

Of the 14,590 seat belt citations issued by CSP in 2021, 3,780 citations were for female drivers and 10,810 were for male drivers. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wearing seat belts reduces the risk of injury or death in a crash by 50%.

The next enforcement period begins on May 16.

During the three Click It or Ticket enforcement periods in 2021, CDOT says 2,994 unrestrained drivers were issued citations across the state.

Below is a review of 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. 

For more information about seat belt safety and enforcement citation numbers, click here.