Officials in Summit County are teaming up with the Colorado Department of Transportation to encourage better seat belt use in the area.
On Tuesday morning, representatives with CDOT, the Colorado State Patrol, the Breckenridge Police Department, St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, Summit County Public Health and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District will join together for a panel to endorse the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement period.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, featuring six speakers from the various organizations giving presentations to raise awareness about seat belt safety.
Colorado has a seat belt use rate of 86 percent, below the national average of 90 percent. According to a recent CDOT study, five of the six counties in the state with the lowest seat belt usage are rural. Last year, 2015 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed in crashes in the state, more than half of the total passenger vehicle fatalities.