More drivers are wearing seat belts in Colorado than ever before.

A survey by the Colorado Department of Transportation shows seat-belt use improved to 88.3% in 2019 from 86.3% in 2018. This is the highest rate since record-keeping began in 1997, when the state logged a 60% buckling-up rate.

The national rate for seat belt use is 90%.

In 2018, there were 220 unbuckled passenger vehicle deaths on Colorado roads – accounting for more than half of the 416 total passenger vehicle deaths in the state.

Among the other findings in the report:

The highest percentage of seat-belt use was among SUV drivers at 92%, with vans following close behind at 90.1%.The lowest percentage usage was among commercial vehicles at 75.8% and pickups at 82.6%.There appears to be a strong correlation between speed and seat-belt use – at higher speeds, especially on primary roads, drivers are more likely to buckle up than on local roads.The study did not include usage rates during nighttime hours. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirms that seat-belt use is significantly lower and unbelted fatalities are far greater at night.

To learn more about Click It or Ticket enforcement and Colorado’s seat-belt laws, visit www.codot.gov/safety/seatbelts.