(COLO)—The Colorado State Patrol issued more than 5,000 safety restraint tickets in the first half of 2024. Troopers are on a mission to reduce the number of people who choose not to buckle up through enforcement and education because they see the need for these life-saving devices every day.
Seatbelt citations issued by Colorado State Patrol in previous years:
- 2023 - 10,238
- 2022 - 11,635
- 2021 - 14,606
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 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 the age of 16 in the vehicle.
Many Coloradoans still see seatbelt laws as an invasion of their rights, and troopers hear this all the time. Whether you believe the laws are for your own good or created by insurance lobbyists, they are enforced across the state.
The five counties that ranked at the bottom for seatbelt usage rates in 2023 were:
- Jefferson County (73.5%)
- Pueblo County (74.46%)
- El Paso County (79.35%)
- Logan County (83.78%)
- Morgan County (84.24%)
“We can’t stress this enough: wearing a seat belt dramatically improves the chances that you will survive a car crash,” said Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “In 2023, 85% of occupants who survived fatal crashes in Colorado wore a seat belt. By comparison, only 15% of the unbuckled occupants survived.”
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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.