CDOT launches “Buckle Up — Someone Needs You” during seat belt enforcement campaign
News Release
Statewide — This week, the Colorado Department of Transportation is launching its new “Buckle Up — Someone Needs You” seat belt campaign. The campaign reminds Coloradans of the people who depend on them to get home safe — family members, friends, coworkers, teammates … even pets. The campaign, launching in tandem with the July Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement period, urges people to think about the ripple effects that would take place if they were to get killed or severely injured in a crash. Their family, friends, teammates and co-workers would all be severely impacted by the loss.
To spread this message, CDOT is partnering with over 50 public venues in the state to display posters. These include recreation centers, places of worship, pet daycares, schools, sporting venues, libraries and other locations. The campaign will also be shared through social media and with safety partners statewide.
“Choosing not to wear a seat belt can impact far more than you alone,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “When someone loses their life in a crash, everyone who knows them is affected. Please, buckle up for you and for all those around you.”
From July 21 to Aug. 1, CDOT will support the Colorado State Patrol and 34 local law enforcement agencies for the third statewide seat belt enforcement period of 2025. During the nearly two-week period, law enforcement will increase patrols and focus on issuing citations to unbuckled drivers as part of the national Click It or Ticket effort. Drivers with unbuckled passengers and improperly restrained children can also be ticketed.
So far this year, 82 unbuckled drivers and passengers have been killed in traffic crashes. That number accounts for almost half of all passenger vehicle deaths in the state this year.
Colorado’s seat belt usage rate currently sits at 88.19%, which is 3.1% below the national usage rate of 91.2%. Notably, seat belt usage in Colorado is lowest among pickup truck and commercial vehicle drivers, at 82.92% and 83.59% respectively. Wearing a seat belt while in a pickup truck can reduce your risk of a fatal injury by 60% and the risk of a moderate to critical injury by 65%.
“Seat belts are one of the easiest and best ways to protect yourself in a vehicle,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “It takes three to four seconds to put on a seat belt. You are worth the time, and you are making the choice to protect your life.”
During the May seat belt enforcement period, law enforcement officers issued over 2,400 citations for seat belt violations. The most citations were issued by Loveland Police Department (301), Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (256) and Thornton Police Department (91).
CDOT urges everyone to remember those who need them and buckle up the next time they enter a car. Seat belts save lives and also protect families, teams, friendships, pets and communities.
Colorado’s seat belt laws
Colorado law requires the driver and every front seat passenger of a motor vehicle and the driver and every passenger in an autocycle equipped with a safety belt system to wear a seat belt whenever the vehicle is in operation on a street or highway.
- 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 ages, to wear seat belts. This is a primary enforcement, meaning teens can be pulled over simply for not wearing a seatbelt 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 18 in the vehicle.
Fines for not buckling up in Colorado start at $65, and parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child can receive a minimum fine of $82. Caregivers may face additional charges if the law is not followed and the child is injured as a result.
Vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. Last year in Colorado, 78% of car seats inspected by child passenger safety technicians were not being used correctly or were not installed properly. Parents and caregivers can learn more about Colorado child passenger safety laws, recommendations and recalls at CarSeatsColorado.com.
About Click It or Ticket
Click It or Ticket is a nationwide campaign from NHTSA. Since Click It or Ticket was introduced in Colorado in 2002, statewide seatbelt use has increased from 72% to 88%. For more information about seat belt safety and enforcement citation numbers, visit SeatBeltsColorado.com.
Crash Not Accident
Note to reporters: Crashes are no accident — they are preventable. We would appreciate you saying 'crash' instead of 'accident' when reporting.
