From now throughout the summer, police will be amping up enforcement of seat belt laws in Colorado and neighboring states as part of the State2State Buckle Up Campaign.

The campaign will last through August and in coordination with the national Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement period beginning Monday and ending on June 6.

“Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to prevent injury or death in a crash,” said Darrell Lingk with the Colorado Department of Transportation. “Don’t risk your safety by removing your seat belt, even if you are a passenger.”

In Colorado, seat belt use is currently at 86.3% — below the national average of 90%, according to CDOT.

Last year, 612 people, including pedestrians, were killed on Colorado roadways, while 365 people were killed in passenger vehicles. And 56% of them were unbuckled at the time of collision, according to CDOT.

Wearing seat belts reduced the risk of injury or death in a crash by 50%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The State2State Buckle Up Campaign is centered around the summer as travelers from neighboring states begin to come to visit Colorado at increasing rates.

“Whether a visitor or a resident, we want every occupant of a vehicle to be buckled up,” said State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard. “We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”

From 2017 to 2020, there were 86 deaths on Colorado highways from people from another state not wearing seat belts.

Under Colorado law, seat belts are required for the driver and front passenger seats, and for children under the age of 16 in any seat. If the driver is under the age of 18, all passengers must wear seat belts regardless of their ages.

In addition to increased law enforcement, during the campaign, CDOT will also inform travelers about the importance of wearing seat belts on social media and via digital highway signs near state boarders.

Transportation and law enforcement agencies in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are participating in the campaign to remind travelers to always wear seat belts.