Article Contributed on: 1/24/2008 2:14:09 PM
Six people die unbuckled during enforcement week
DENVER - Law enforcement agencies in 11 Colorado counties wrote 4,114 seat belt tickets during the 7-day Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization Jan. 14-20. During that same timeframe, 9 people died in traffic crashes in Colorado, and 6 of them were not restrained in seat belts.
The majority of tickets were issued for adult seat belt violations, with 3,354 citations. Teen drivers, ages 16 to 20, received 395 violations for not buckling up, and 365 tickets were given to drivers who violated the state's laws for requiring child safety seats for children under 4, booster seats, and seat belts for children under age 16.
"Buckling up yourself and your passengers every time you drive your vehicle might be a message you think you've heard too many times, but it's never to often when lives are at stake," said Colonel Mark Trostel, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Keep in mind that it only takes two seconds to buckle up--and that the one time you forget to click your safety belt could change your life forever. Wearing a seat belt isn't just a smart choice, it's the law."
In addition to seat belt tickets, speeding topped the list of other violations issued during the campaign as agencies wrote 1,512 such tickets. Other violations, including 339 for no proof of insurance, 283 for suspended licenses, and 46 for teen drivers violating passenger restrictions. Arrests for DUI (34), outstanding warrants (27), and drugs (16), were also made by Click It or Ticket enforcement agencies.
"These mobilizations are not about writing a lot of seat belt tickets, but about saving lives by reminding people about the importance of properly restraining themselves and their passengers," said
Pam Hutton, CDOT's Governor's Representative for Highway Safety. "We are particularly worried about teenagers, who often think they're invincible and tend to buckle up much less often."
In 2006 in Colorado, 66 teen drivers and passengers, ages 16 to 20, were killed in motor vehicle crashes and nearly three-fourths of those (45) teens were not buckled up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 58% (2,813) of teen passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2006 (4,842), ages 16 to 20, were unrestrained at the time of the fatal crash.
The Colorado State Patrol and 41 law enforcement agencies in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld counties participated in the enforcement effort. The following agencies issued the most seat belt citations:
Colorado State Patrol - 1,563
Arapahoe County SO - 331
Denver PD - 214
El Paso County SO - 192
Greeley PD - 158
Thornton PD - 129
Longmont PD - 128
Loveland PD - 106
Fort Collins PD - 99
Colorado Springs PD - 97
Sheridan PD - 87
Aurora PD -- 86
Pueblo County SO -- 85
The most recent enforcement wave occurred Oct. 15-21, 2007 and resulted in 2,559 seat belt citations. Additional mobilizations will occur in March and May.
For more information on Colorado's Graduated Drivers Licensing laws and the Click It or Ticket enforcement, visit www.coteendriver.com or www.nhtsa.gov/link/ciot.htm.
To view seat belt citation data by agency, visit www.dot.state.co.us/TrafficSafety/. Click on Seat Belt Enforcement
Heather Halpape, CDOT
Colorado State Patrol PIO