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Click it or Ticket to start on May 22
Contributed by: CDOT on 5/17/2006

Colorado's fifth Click It or Ticket campaign starts overtime enforcement of the state's seat belt laws May 22, reports the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Colorado State Patrol and 100 police and sheriff's departments join 49 states for a nationwide effort to increase seat belt use. In Colorado, enforcement targets drivers with unbuckled children in the vehicle as well as aggressive and speeding drivers during a two-week crackdown that ends on June 4.

"Click It or Ticket uses both education and enforcement to improve seat belt use and reduce traffic deaths on our highways," said Tom Norton, CDOT's executive director. "We have seen the campaign's impact in a 27 percent reduction in unbuckled deaths in Colorado."

Last year in Colorado, 460 drivers and passengers died on Colorado highways and 258 or nearly 56 percent were not buckled up. In 2001, the year before Click It or Ticket started in Colorado, 354 unrestrained drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes, compared to 258 such deaths in 2005.

"Law enforcement officers are dedicated to enforcing Colorado's seat belt and child safety seat laws because they know that enforcing our laws will save lives and prevent and serious injuries." said Col. Mark Trostel, Chief of the CSP. "If you wear your seat belt and properly buckle up young children, you can avoid a ticket - or much worse if you're in a traffic crash."

An analysis of 2005 Colorado data from CDOT's Fatality Analysis Reporting System found that crash victims at night are less likely to wear seat belts than such victims during the day and early evening. Statistics also show that those who die unbuckled during the day and night are most often young and male.

-Seventy-one percent of crash victims at night (9 p.m. to 3 a.m.) were unrestrained, compared to 50 percent of crash victims during the remaining hours of the day.
-Young people under age 35 accounted for nearly 59 percent (151) of all 258 unbuckled crash victims.
-Of those unbuckled victims under age 35, 95 percent (143) were between the ages of 16 and 34.
-Nearly 70 percent (179) of all the unbuckled crash victims were men.

The following counties had the highest numbers of unbuckled drivers and passengers killed in the state: Weld (25), El Paso (24), Adams (24), Denver (20), Jefferson (15), Larimer (14), Mesa (9), La Plata and Logan (8 each) and Arapahoe and Fremont (7 each).

In Colorado, seat belt use is highest on the Front Range at 82 percent. Seat belt use is 77 percent on the Western Slope and 68 percent on the Eastern Plains. The statewide seat belt use rate is 79.2 percent.

Statewide, only 67 percent of those in pickup trucks use seat belts compared to more than 80 percent in cars, vans and sport utility vehicles. Seat belt use in pick up trucks is lowest on the Eastern Plains at 50 percent. Sixty-three percent of pick up truck drivers and passengers buckle up on the Western Slope, compared to 75 percent on the Front Range.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of death for those in the front seat of passenger cars by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50 percent. The fatality risk of front-seat motorists who wear seat belts in sport-utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans is reduced by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injuries by 65 percent.

Colorado's "Click It or Ticket" campaign uses paid advertising to target young men ages 18 to 34 with the seat belt enforcement message. In addition to national advertising, CDOT has placed $177,000 in television and radio spots in Denver, Ft. Collins, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. The campaign airs in both English and Spanish. Funds for the campaign are provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and must be used for "Click It or Ticket."

"While it's important for motorists to buckle up year round, we want those who don't wear seat belts to know about Click It or Ticket so they will buckle up before the enforcement period starts," said Norton. "CDOT's variable message signs around the state will remind the public about the campaign whenever possible."

Norton also noted that raising seat belt use by just 3.3 percent will save $45 million in traffic crash costs in Colorado each year.

Colorado's child passenger safety law includes both primary and secondary enforcement. The infant seat, child safety seat and seat belt provisions of the law are primary enforcement, meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child in the vehicle. The booster seat portion of the law is secondary enforcement. The child passenger safety law clearly defines child safety seat and seat belt use from birth through age 15. The public can find more information about the law and assistance with using child safety seats and seat belts properly by visiting www.carseatscolorado.com or by calling 1-800-LUV TOTS (1-800-588-8387). In the Denver metro area, call 303-239-4625.

Drivers under age 17 are restricted to only one passenger in the front seat and may only have as many passengers in the back seat of the car as there are seat belts. The driver and all passengers must be buckled up and the driver can be stopped and ticketed for violating the law. The minimum fine is $40 and two points against the minor driver's record. (For passenger restrictions for minor drivers and more information on that law, visit www.coteendriver.com)

The seat belt law for adults requires the driver and front seat passengers to buckle up. The law is a secondary offense, meaning a driver must be stopped for another offense before receiving a ticket for a seat belt violation. The minimum fine is $18.

During the 2005 Click It or Ticket campaign, participating law enforcement agencies issued 11,433 tickets to seat belt violators. (To view results of last year's campaign, visit www.dot.state.co.us/trafficsafety.



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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Eisel

Denver , COLORADO

John Eisel has posted 2865 stories and 12 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. John Eisel's average story rating is 4.39.
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