From July 21 to August 1, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) worked with the Colorado State Patrol and 58 local law enforcement agencies for the third Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign of 2025. During this period, officers increased patrols and focused on issuing citations to drivers who were not wearing seat belts, following recent updates to state seat belt and car seat laws.
Preliminary figures show that 1,593 citations were issued during the enforcement effort. This marks a 116% increase compared to last year’s July Wave campaign, which saw 737 drivers cited. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office reported the highest number of citations at 217, followed by the Aurora Police Department with 180 and Loveland Police Department with 151. The Colorado State Patrol also cited 362 drivers.
In July, there were 21 unbuckled fatalities in Colorado, making it the second-highest month for such deaths in 2025. March had the most so far this year with 23 fatalities involving unbuckled occupants. Data shows that unbuckled fatalities have been declining since a peak of 242 deaths in 2022. As of July 31, unbuckled fatalities in Colorado are down by about 14% compared to the same time last year, dropping from 120 in 2024 to 103 in 2025.
Last year, more than half of crash fatalities in Colorado involved people who were not wearing seat belts. CDOT reports that while fatality numbers are decreasing overall, Colorado’s rate of seat belt use remains below the national average of about 91%.
“It’s encouraging to see unbuckled fatalities decline this year,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “However, Colorado’s seat belt usage rate is still below the national average of 91%, and far too many lives are lost each year that could have been saved simply by buckling up. Taking just two seconds to put on a seat belt could save your life.”
On January 1, changes took effect for child passenger safety laws in Colorado: children must now use a car or booster seat until their ninth birthday when riding in a passenger vehicle; those under age two and weighing less than forty pounds must be secured in a rear-facing car seat; and all passengers under eighteen must wear a seat belt. Parents and caregivers can be ticketed if these requirements are not met.
“It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to ensure that any child in their vehicle is properly restrained,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Not only is it the law, but it could also be the difference between life, serious injury or death.”
Colorado law requires both drivers and front-seat passengers — as well as all occupants of autocycles equipped with safety belts — to wear them whenever traveling on public roads or highways.
Fines for failing to buckle up start at $65 per violation; parents or caregivers found transporting an improperly restrained child face fines starting at $82 and may receive additional charges if injuries occur as a result.
More information about these laws can be found on the official webpage.
