Colorado sets record for seat belt use but El Paso, Pueblo Counties lag behind

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado State Patrol's annual survey of seat belt use by drivers and passengers shows the best-ever statewide results but disappointing numbers for El Paso and Teller counties.

The study, released Tuesday morning, finds that Colorado has a use percentage of 88.6% -- a 1.6% increase from last year and a record high for the state.

However, Pueblo and El Paso and Pueblo counties now have the second- and third-worst use rates, respectively, among Colorado's 64 counties.

Pueblo County's use rate is 74.46%, which is a 7% improvement since last year; but El Paso County dropped by the same amount for a percentage of 79.35%.

"It's a little off-putting, mainly because you want everybody to make it home," said Trooper Gabriel Moltrer, of the CSP. "As far as (whether it's) surprising goes, I can't say. We'll work with local agencies for the Click It or Ticket (enforcement). We'll work with campaigning just to get more word out to say that hey, you guys need to be wearing your seat belts. It is the law through Colorado."

Moltrer said that enforcement seems to be the best morivator for seat belt use.

"Troopers can drive alongside a vehicle or behind it, and see if the people inside are wearing seat belts," he explained. "When we pull them over, we make them aware of that."

The study also finds that people use seat belts less often if they're passengers, or if they're driving in secondary roads.

The CSP surveyed nearly 100,000 vehicles in 26 counties; the number of counties with a 90% or higher use rate increased fro six in 2020 to 13 this year.

According to the CSP, the five counties reporting the highest use rates were Arapahoe County (98.16%), Garfield County (97.38%), Douglas County (96.82), Grand County (96.73%) and Park County (95.82%). 

Jefferson, Logan and Morgan counties joined El Paso and Pueblo as ranked the lowest in the state, with Jefferson's 73.50% at the bottom.

Despite Colorado's record-high seat belt use, the state still remains behind the national average of 92%.