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Police looking for seat belt violations

Southwest Colorado law-enforcement agencies will be alert tonight through Sunday night for drivers or certain passengers not using a seat belt.

It’s the annual Click It or Ticket campaign. Last year, state agencies issued 2,370 citations for nonuse of a seat belt at night.

Capt. Adrian Driscoll from the State Patrol in Durango said his office isn’t participating in Click It or Ticket but that troopers will be alert, as always, to nonuse of seat belts.

The same message came from Lt. Ray Shupe of the Durango Police Department.

“We aren’t enrolled in this year’s campaign,” Shupe said in an email. “However, our officers are always looking for seat belt infractions and we support the statewide campaign.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that death and injury from not using a seat belt costs an estimated $14 billion a year in medical care, lost productivity and other injury-related costs.

Under Colorado law, adult drivers can be cited if they or front-seat passengers are not using a seat belt when the driver is stopped for another violation. The minimum fine is $65.

Teenage drivers and all their passengers, no matter what age, must use a seat belt. A teenage driver can be pulled over if he/she or any passenger is not using a seat belt.

An unrestrained or improperly restrained person under age 16 in a vehicle can result in the driver being stopped and cited.

daler@durangoherald.com



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