(COLORADO) — In 2024 alone, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) investigated over 4,000 crashes by 16-to 21-year-old drivers. With the school year either starting up or already begun for some districts, CSP has issued a reminder of Colorado’s seat belt laws for adults and teens hitting the roads for the first time.

According to CSP, adults caught driving or sitting in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt will be cited for a Class B traffic infraction and fined $65.

Teens, on the other hand, can be pulled over if anyone in the car is not wearing a seat belt and will receive an automatic summons to court, as well as two points added to their license. For drivers between 18 and 20, nine points within 12 months could result in the immediate license suspension.

For children, the driver of a car can be ticketed if an officer sees either an unrestrained or improperly restrained child under 18, resulting in a minimum $82 fine and possibly grounds for endangerment.

“While some Coloradoans oppose safety laws, arguing that they violate personal freedom, seat belt laws were passed as a matter of public health,” CSP said in an official release. “Tweens and teens will test limits as they learn and grow, which is why parents’ behavior will be a key factor in their seat belt use.”