(COLO) – From Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, the Colorado State Patrol, along with state transportation and law enforcement agencies from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah came together with a united message for the State2State. Buckle Up. Campaign.
Over the summer Colorado State Troopers issued 4,248 seatbelt citations with the majority of motorists coming from Colorado (85%). However, forty-five other states were represented with motorists choosing not to buckle up. The top three states were Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash by 50%.
Unfortunately, some motorists still made the choice to travel without this protection. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend Colorado troopers responded to hundreds of crashes that seriously injured or killed 261 people that were not using a seatbelt or improperly wearing one. These individuals came from 15 different states in addition to Colorado residents.
“To help make Colorado roads a safer place, drivers and passengers need to do their part and buckle up no matter what state they call home,” stated Matthew C. Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “It doesn't matter how long or short the trip, we see lives lost over ‘excuses’ like discomfort or forgetting. There is no excuse good enough for your loved ones or our troopers – buckle up.”
STATE2STATE. BUCKLE UP.
State2State. Buckle up. is a multi-state seat belt safety campaign led by local transportation and law enforcement agencies from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. The summer-long seat belt awareness campaign launches alongside the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) and the Colorado Click It or Ticket May seat belt enforcement period.
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.
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ABOUT THE COLORADO STATE PATROL
Since our origin in 1935, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) has focused on preserving human life and protecting property within our communities. Our 1,100 members embody the core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect in their daily jobs. In addition to our expertise in motor vehicle safety on the state’s roadways, the CSP is responsible for the Governor and other dignitaries’ protection, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, hazardous materials, homeland security, communications, investigative services, criminal interdiction, community education, aviation operations, and more.