Does Colorado require adult passengers in the backseat to wear seatbelts?

Only drivers and front-seat passengers are required to wear seatbelts under Colorado law. Wearing seatbelts is mandatory in front seats while a motor vehicle is being operated on any Colorado street or highway. 

Adult passengers who cannot use a seatbelt because of a diagnosed disability are exempt from the law, along with passengers in vehicles that aren’t required by federal law to have safety belts, such as large buses. 

Beginning Jan. 1, children under age 18 must wear seatbelts regardless of their position in the car. Children up to age 9 must use a car or booster seat, and those seats must be installed in a backseat if the vehicle has one. 

Wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to avoid serious injuries in a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

Thirty-three states plus the District of Columbia require backseat passengers to buckle up.