• Seat belt usage helps keep everyone in the car safe.Familiarize Your Kid with seatbelts image by Maciej Zatonski from Fotolia.com
  
  In Colorado each year nearly 140 people who fail to buckle up die in traffic accidents. Colorado's Click It or Ticket campaign seeks to lessen the chance of deaths from vehicular accidents by encouraging drivers and passengers to use safety belts at all times. If drivers choose not to, they may face a fine and receive points on their license.
  
  

Seatbelt laws and Standards

• All seat belts and any other restraining devices must have a label or tag showing they meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These standards set the performance requirements for all car restraint devices including lap and shoulder belts. The FMVSS also requires that seat belt buckles be designed to minimize the possibility of accidental release.
  
  

Adults

• The automobile's driver is held responsible for ensuring that all passengers comply with Colorado's seat belt laws. Seat belts are mandatory for the driver and any front-seat passenger. The only exceptions are drivers who operate a car built prior to 1968 and anyone with a medical or psychological disability. In the latter case, a medical statement describing the disability must be carried with the passenger. Drivers under 17 are allowed to have one passenger in the front and cannot have more passengers in the car than there are seat belts. A violation can result in the driver receiving a minimum $40 fine and two points on their license.
  
  

Children

• Child restraints must meet the FMVSS 213 clause. Infants must ride in a rear-facing safety carrier until they are a year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. Children between 20 and 40 pounds and up to 4 years old are allowed to ride in a forward-facing restraining seat. Children between the ages of 4 and 6 must be restrained in a booster seat or have a child's belt-positioning device attached. Once a child is at least 6 or 55 inches tall they are required to wear a standard seat belt.
  
  

Consequences

• Seat belt violations are considered a secondary offense, which means a driver must be stopped for another reason, such as speeding, for example. The driver can then be ticketed for the seat belt violation if the officer observes it. The minimum fine for a seat belt violation is $18.