REPORT: Seat belt use below 75 percent in two Colorado counties

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 714 tickets were handed out during a 'seat belt enforcement' period from July 22 to August 2 , with enforcement involving the Colorado State Patrol and 53 partner law enforcement agencies. Of those citations, 60 tickets were issued related to improperly restrained children.

This push was part of an effort to raise awareness about the risks associated with not wearing a seatbelt while traveling and was the latest of three recent enforcement periods that have yielded a total of 3,911 citations handed out to drivers in Colorado.

Last year, a total of 216 traffic deaths in Colorado involved unrestrained passengers, with a total of 720 deaths recorded statewide – in other words, nearly one-third of deaths involved people not wearing seat belts.

Statewide, seat belt use is believed to be at about 89 percent, behind a national average of 92 percent. That said, some counties lag behind quite a bit when it comes to seat belt usage.

Counties that wear seat belts the least include El Paso County at a 79.35 percent usage rate, Pueblo County at a 74.46 percent usage rate, and Jefferson County at a 73.50 percent usage rate.

“Seat belt use falls when people are in slower speed zones and residential areas. But it's crucial to prioritize safety regardless of the speed limit,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Seat belts are designed to safeguard passengers and can considerably reduce the chance of serious injury or death in a crash.”

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