The Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) Click It or Ticket campaign is focussing on nighttime seat belt enforcement this week through Sunday, July 26.

CDOT is again teaming up with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies to cite unbuckled motorists, hoping to raise Colorado's seat belt use rate and decrease avoidable unbuckled fatalities.

"Unfortunately we often see people not using their seat belt at night, which is extremely dangerous given the reduced visibility and the presence of more impaired drivers," said Col. Scott Hernandez, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Even if you consider yourself a great driver, seat belts are the easiest and best defense to protect yourself in the event of an unexpected crash."

Colorado has a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers. Drivers can be ticketed for violating the seat belt law if they are stopped for another traffic violation. Click It or Ticket enforcement focuses on speeding and aggressive drivers. Drivers who are stopped for a traffic violation and are not using a seat belt will be ticketed. The minimum fine is $65.

Colorado's Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) law requires all drivers under 18 and their passengers, no matter what their age, to wear seat belts. This is a primary enforcement, meaning teens can be pulled over simply for not wearing a seat belt or having passengers without seat belts. To learn more visit COTeenDriver.com.

Colorado's child passenger safety law is primary enforcement, meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child under age 16 in the vehicle. To learn more visit CarSeatsColorado.com.

For more information about seat belt safety and enforcement citation numbers, visit SeatBeltsColorado.com