Colorado’s seat belt use rate is 86 percent, well below the national average of 90 percent. Last year, 215 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed in crashes in the state, accounting for more than half of the 410 total passenger vehicle deaths. In 2017, an estimated 70 lives could have been saved if everyone in Colorado had buckled up.

The March rural enforcement is the first of three Click It or Ticket enforcement periods in 2019. During the same Click It or Ticket spring enforcement last year, 1,279 seat belt citations were issued in rural communities across Colorado.

Fines for not buckling up in Colorado start at $65, and parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child can receive a minimum fine of $82.

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