SB 18-053

Senate Bill 18-053 in Colorado makes it mandatory for all passengers, regardless of their seat position, to wear a safety belt while riding in a vehicle. Currently, drivers can only be cited for not wearing a seatbelt if they were already stopped for another traffic violation, but this bill would allow police officers to pull over and ticket drivers solely for failing to use a seatbelt. The bill has been signed into law, meaning it is now enforceable by the state's legal system.

Official Summary

Current law requires every driver of and every front-seat passenger in a motor vehicle equipped with a safety belt system to wear a fastened safety belt while the motor vehicle is being operated. The bill extends this requirement to every passenger in a motor vehicle. Current law provides that a law enforcement officer may not cite a driver of a motor vehicle for a failure to wear a safety belt unless the driver was stopped for a different alleged traffic violation. The bill repeals this limitation, allowing a law enforcement officer to stop and cite a driver solely for a failure to wear a safety belt.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More