The cover of darkness will not cloak drivers who fail to buckle up, police said, announcing a “Nighttime Click It or Ticket” program starting tonight.
The Colorado State Patrol and 40 law enforcement agencies in the state will beef up patrols at night this week to enforce “buckle-up laws” with zero tolerance aimed at offenders, authorities say.
“This isn’t about just writing tickets. We want to help everyone survive to see the sunrise,” said Col. James Wolfinbarger, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, in a media release. “We’re increasing traffic enforcement at night because we know that it’s a risky time for drivers and passengers. Seat belts save lives.”
Last year in Colorado, 182 drivers and passengers were killed in crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., according to Colorado Department of Transportation statistics. Of that number, 54 percent were not wearing seat belts, compared to 39 percent of fatal victims not buckled up during the day.
Young men, ages 18 to 34, are especially prone to driving withoug seat belts, statistics indicate. They make up one-third of unbuckled victims overall and 58 percent of unbuckled victims at night, according to CDOT.
Authorities hope increased coverage at night will hammer home a safety message and help reverse trends among drivers who fail to buckle up.
In Colorado, by law, drivers can’t be stopped solely for not wearing a seat belt. The nightime click-it program will focus, however, on speeding and aggressive drivers, according to the release. Drivers stopped for other violations will be scrutinized about seat belt use and ticketed if violating the law.
Drivers and front-seat passengers are required to use seat belts in Colorado. Violators are slapped with a $72 fine. No points against a driver’s license are associated with the ticket.
Federal grants are helping to fund the program that includes saturation patrols in 11 counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld.
The night “Click-It” program begins at 6 p.m. tonight and runs through 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
