FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Heather Halpape, CDOT
February 10, 2010 303-757-9484 or 303-888-6319 (cell)
heather.halpape@dot.state.co.us
CSP PIO 303-239-4583
Seat Belt Campaign Aims to Get More Rural Coloradans to Buckle Up
Law Enforcement in 30 counties to conduct Click It or Ticket enforcement Feb. 18-24th
Denver – In an effort to increase seat belt use and save lives on rural Colorado roadways, the Colorado State Patrol and 24 rural law enforcement agencies in 30 counties are mobilizing for a Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign, Feb. 18- 24th. The stepped up seat belt enforcement will take place in the following counties: Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Delta, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Kiowa, Kit Carson, La Plata, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Ouray, Phillips, Prowers, Routt, Washington, and Yuma.
“There is a false sense of security that you are safer driving on rural roadways because there’s less traffic,” said Pamela Hutton, chief engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “But the fact is most traffic fatalities in Colorado occur on rural roads, and more than half of those killed are not buckled up. That’s why we’re focusing our efforts in rural areas to raise awareness about the importance of buckling up no matter where you are or how short the trip.”
In 2008, 54% of traffic deaths happened on rural Colorado roads. Of the 296 people killed in rural crashes, 52% were not wearing seat belts, compared to 35% who died unrestrained in urban crashes.
One contributor to higher fatality rates is a lower seat belt use in rural Colorado. An observational statewide seat belt study in 2009 showed that seat belt use was lowest in the Eastern and Western parts of the state with only 78% of rural drivers and passengers buckling up. That compares to an 83% usage rate along the Front Range.
“Wearing a seat belt is an important habit that can save your life,” said Chief Tom Chinn of the Montrose Police Department. “We don’t want to write tickets, but if it saves lives, we’ll do it.”
Young males and pickup truck occupants are among those at the greatest risk. In 2008, 7 out of 10 unbuckled deaths were men and half of them were ages 18 to 34. Also in 2008, 80 people were killed in pickup trucks and 69% were not wearing seat belts. Seat belt use in pickup trucks is the lowest in Colorado with just 68% buckling up.
“Pickup trucks are tough, but they definitely aren’t invincible and are much more likely to rollover in a crash,” said Jeff Schanhals, coordinator for the Northeast Colorado Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council (RETAC). “Rural emergency responders see the horrible consequences when people forget to buckle up and are ejected from the vehicle. The safest place to be in a crash is to remain in the car or truck, so please make it click every trip, every time.”
Colorado has a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers. Drivers can be ticketed for violating the seat belt law if they are stopped for another traffic violation. Click It or Ticket enforcement focuses on speeding and aggressive drivers. Drivers who are stopped for a traffic violation and are not using a seat belt will be ticketed. Seat belt fines are $65 per violation.
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
The Colorado State Patrol and the following agencies and troops are participating in the Click It or Ticket enforcement:
Alamosa County SO
Bent County SO
Crowley County SO
CSP Troop 1A
CSP Troop 2A
CSP Troop 2C
CSP Troop 2D
CSP Troop 3B
CSP Troop 4A
CSP Troop 4B
CSP Troop 4C
CSP Troop 5A
CSP Troop 5B
CSP Troop 5C
Cortez PD
Elbert County SO
Garfield County SO
Fort Morgan PD
Fraser-Winter Park PD
Fremont County SO
Fruita PD
Gunnison PD
Holyoke PD
Huerfano County SO
Kit Carson County SO
Las Animas County SO
Mancos MO
Manzanola PD
Mesa County SO
Montrose PD
Morgan County SO
Silt PD
Steamboat Springs PD
Sterling PD
Washington County SO
Yuma PD
# # #
Sergeant John R. Hahn
Colorado State Patrol - Public Affairs Unit
303-239-4500
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