La Plata and Montezuma counties have the lowest rates of seat belt use in Colorado. That’s according to a 2017 study by the state Department of Transportation. The study found that La Plata’s residents buckle up 74 percent of the time, Montezuma’s a fraction of a percent more. The statewide rate is 84 percent, which puts Colorado 36th nationwide. Last year, 211 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed in vehicle crashes in Colorado, up 14 percent from the year before. Because the five counties with the lowest rates of seat-belt use are all rural, CDOT says the Colorado State Patrol and local law-enforcement agencies will be conducting a “Click It or Ticket” crackdown in rural counties now through April 1st.
Montezuma and La Plata Counties Rank Last in Colorado Seat Belt Use, CDOT Study Says
Santeri Viinamäki
