“Buckle Up: Someone Needs You” Campaign Launches in Colorado

It's kind of a profound thought process when you really dig into the meat of it... that every time you're not at home, there is most likely someone who IS at home that "needs you."

Whether your kids, your loved ones or even just your pets, there is incentive to get home safely because whoever that person or pet is would really be lost without you.

And that is the them for the Colorado Department of Transportation's new campaign called "Buckle Up - Someone Needs You" which is running now through the end of the month.

We're all familiar with "Click It or Ticket" and this campaign is kind of an extension of that. It's designed to urge you to think about what CDOT calls the "ripple effects" that would happen if you were to be severely injured - or worse - in a car accident because you weren't wearing a seat belt. Kind tough to think about, isn't it?

Related: Do You Really Know How To Read and Properly Use Traffic Signals?

To spread the word, CDOT has partnered with a bunch of organizations and venues across the state to promote the message.

And as you might expect, this comes with heightened enforcement as CDOT has partnered with and will support 34 local law enforcement agencies for the third seat belt "enforcement period" of this year. Law enforcement is currently increasing patrols and focusing on citations to unbuckled drivers across the state, including ticketing drivers with unbuckled passengers or MUCH worse, improperly restrained children in their vehicles.

More: Ever Wonder Why Police Officers Do These Things During Traffic Stops?

CDOT cites the fact that so far this year, 82 unbuckled drivers have been killed in vehicle accidents. That number accounts for half of all passenger vehicle deaths this year.

More information can be found on the CDOT website.