16% of Rural Colorado Drivers Shirk Seat Belts

Approximately 16% of Colorado drivers don't buckle up following a recent enforcement initiative in rural areas of the state. Some 1,279 drivers received a summons for seat belt violations between March 26 and April 1, reports 9News.com.

That number reflects a slight improvement from 2017, when 1,341 drivers were ticketed during the same period.

The citations given during the Click It or Ticket enforcement period designed to raise awareness of seat belt laws and motivate motorists to comply in rural counties of Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies participated in Click It or Ticket. Among the citations issued this go-round were 62 for unrestrained children, according to a report in the Monte Vista Journal.

Forty-seven agencies participated in the heightened enforcement with the following agencies recording the highest number of tickets, according to the reports:

• Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office: 82 citations
• Rifle Police Department: 73 citations
• Fort Lupton Police Department: 61 citations
• CSP: 680 citations

In Colorado, fines for failure to wear a seat belt begin at $65.

The next phase of Click It or Ticket enforcement in rural Colorado runs from May 21 to June 3.