Seatbelt Usage Colorado

Seatbelt Usage Colorado

Colorado has a seatbelt law in place since July 1987. It is a secondary enforcement state, which means a police officer may not stop someone just for failing to wear a seatbelt, but they may give them a ticket if they have stopped them for another reason.

The law regarding seatbelts in Colorado includes everyone aged 16 and up in the front seat. If someone is caught not wearing their seatbelt, they may be subject to a $71 fine for their first offense. In addition to wearing seatbelts, child safety seats are also required in Colorado. Anyone younger than one year and weighing less than 20 pounds must be placed in a rear-facing seat. Children between the ages of one and four must be in a front-facing seat, and those over this age must be in a booster seat until they are eight years old. A child must remain in the rear seat until they turn 16 years old.

Colorado has an 81 percent use of seatbelts, which is below the national average of 86 percent. The state has improved the rate of people wearing seatbelts since 2007 when the rate was 81.1 percent. An increase of 0.3 percent was seen from 2013 to 2014 for this state.

Overall, the use of seatbelts is a growing trend. Nationwide, more people wear seatbelts in urban settings than in rural areas. Slightly fewer occupants put on their seatbelts in rush hour traffic than those driving at other times. Colorado is part of the West region, which has the overall highest rate of usage for seatbelts at 95 percent. Studies have shown that seatbelts save lives. However, the number of fatalities in Colorado continue to rise, showcasing the importance of more people buckling up before they get on the road.


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