RULES OF THE ROAD

(State of Colorado)

4. Understanding Colorado's motor vehicle laws

4.1. Colorado’s safety belt law

Colorado’s Safety Belt Law requires that a fastened safety belt must be worn in all motor vehicles, that were factory equipped with a safety belt system, while in operation on public roadways by...

- The driver.

- Every front seat passenger.

- Every child between the ages of 4 and 16 and/or over 40 pounds seated anywhere in the vehicle.

For children, see Colorado's Child Passenger Protection Law.

The only exceptions are:

- Emergency personnel.

- Passenger buses and school buses.

- Farm equipment.

- Motorcycles.

- Driver of delivery vans on the job.

- Anyone carrying a written medical statement from a physician stating why s/he is not physically or psychologically required to wear the safety belts. Always wear both shoulder and lap safety belts low and tight.

4.2. Colorado’s child passenger protection law

Children are required, by law, to be properly fastened into an appropriate child restraint system. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that each child is properly fastened into one of the following:

Children less than one year of age, and less than 20 pounds, in a rear-facing child restraint system.

Children one year of age or older, but less than 4 years of age and less than 40 pounds, in a forward-facing child restraint system.

Children at least 4 years of age, but less than 6 years of age and less than 55 inches tall, in a child booster seat or with a child safety belt-positioning device unless the child is being transported in a vehicle equipped with only a twopoint-lap-belt-only system. The child must then be properly restrained with the lap belt.

Children at least 6 years of age, or older, or is 55 inches tall or more may use the motor vehicle’s safety belt.

According to the National Safety Council:

- Never place an infant in a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side air bag.

- Children should ride, in the appropriate child restraint system, in the back seat. This eliminates the possibility of airbag-related deaths or injuries and studies show that children are up to 29% safer in the back seat.

4.3. Toy vehicles prohibited on a public road

“Toy vehicle” includes, but is not limited to, gas-powered or electric-powered mini bikes, pocket bikes, kamikaze boards, go-peds and stand-up scooters that are not designed, approved or intended for use on public roadways or highways.