Third Click It or Ticket enforcement period of the year begins July 20th

Statewide — From July 20 to 31, the Colorado Department of Transportation will support the Colorado State Patrol and 48 local law enforcement agencies for the third seat belt enforcement period of 2026. During this time, law enforcement will increase patrols and focus on issuing citations to unbuckled drivers in an effort to promote seat belt use and save lives. As of early June, 74 unbuckled vehicle passengers and drivers have died on Colorado roads this year, including two children under the age of 11.  \ \ “When you don’t buckle up, you are vulnerable to the physical forces of a crash and could be ejected from the vehicle,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Buckle up for every ride — no matter the distance — and as the driver, put in park until others do the same.” 

Buckling up is one of the most important decisions you can make in a vehicle. According to the National  Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of severe injury or death by up to 65%. \ \ NHTSA data also shows 60% of back seat passengers who were killed in a crash in 2024 were unbuckled. In a crash, unbuckled rear passengers also risk becoming projectiles capable of seriously hurting other people in the vehicle. In fact, an unbelted rear passenger increases the risk of fatality for the driver by 137%, compared with a back-seat occupant who is buckled up.\ \ “Unbuckled back seat passengers are just as at-risk as unbuckled drivers,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “Whether you’re driving, riding in a friend’s car or using a rideshare service, take a moment to buckle up before the wheels start rolling. That simple click could save your life.”\ \ During the May seat belt enforcement period, law enforcement officers issued 1,037 tickets for seat belt violations, including 51 citations for improperly restrained children. The law enforcement agencies that issued the most tickets during the enforcement were Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (189), Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (135) and Thornton Police Department (121).\ \ Nationally, teens are among the highest risk for motor vehicle crashes, and among the least likely to buckle up. In 2025, of the 48 teens who died in passenger vehicle crashes, 65% were unrestrained. To encourage more Colorado teens to buckle up, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in tandem with South Metro Fire, will be handing out coupons for free Sonic Slushes at the Arapahoe County Fair from July 23 to 26.