The Colorado Department of Transportation supported the Colorado State Patrol and 57 local law enforcement agencies throughout the state for the first seat belt enforcement period of 2025.
During the week-long campaign, law enforcement increased patrols and focused on issuing citations to unbuckled drivers, with an emphasis on Colorado’s new seat belt and car seat laws.
A total of 1,108 drivers were cited during the enforcement period.
“Seat belts are essential for protecting everyone on the road,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol.
“Whether you’re in the driver’s seat, a passenger seat or in the back, buckling up is non-negotiable. Not only does it protect you, but it also keeps others in the vehicle safer by preventing the risk of injury from an unrestrained body in a crash. The odds of a belt-restrained driver sustaining a fatal injury is 137% higher when the passenger behind them is unbuckled.”
Updates to Colorado’s child passenger safety law took effect January 1 this year raising the age requirement for seat belt use. The law increases the age at which children must be restrained in a safety belt or child restraint system from under 16 years of age to under 18 years of age.
Colorado law also now requires children to use a car seat or booster seat until their 9th birthday when riding in a passenger vehicle. Children under the age of 2 and below 40 pounds are required to sit in a rear-facing car seat, a change from under the age of 1 and below 20 pounds.
The next Click It Or Ticket seat belt enforcement period will occur from May 12 to June 1 for NHTSA’s May Mobilization.
