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Buckle Up, No Matter Where You Sit
New Statistics Show Back Seat Passengers Still Not
Buckling Up
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[December 09, 2015]
SPRINGFIELD – With new survey results
showing rear seat belt usage still lagging behind front seat
occupants, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and
Illinois State Police (ISP) are reminding the public that anyone who
rides in a motor vehicle needs to buckle up, no matter where they
are sitting. |
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 Despite the addition of back seat passengers in the state’s
mandatory seat belt law three years ago, a new IDOT survey shows
that only 84.9 percent of back seat passengers in Illinois are
wearing seat belts, an increase of just seven percentage points
since 2013. A separate survey, taken earlier this year, revealed
usage by drivers and front seat passengers at an all-time high of
95.2 percent.
“Vehicle miles and fatalities are up on Illinois roads in recent
months. We urge more back seat passengers to follow the law and
buckle up,” said IDOT Director of Traffic Safety Jared Thornley.
“Too many preventable injuries and fatalities continue to happen to
passengers in the back seat. Increasing seat belt use means fewer
deaths and serious injuries. It’s that simple.”
 In 2003, Illinois passed a primary seat belt law requiring drivers
and front seat passengers to wear a seat belt. In 2012, the law was
expanded to require every passenger to wear seat belts, regardless
of where they are seated in a vehicle.
Enactment of the primary seat belt law has increased seat belt use
for front seat occupants by 19 percentage points, from 76.2 percent
in 2003 to 95.2 percent in 2015. In addition, IDOT and ISP continue
to raise awareness of the importance of buckling up through
enforcement programs like “Click It or Ticket” and by continuously
sharing seat belt safety messages via social media and public
service announcements. [to top of second
column] |
“Drivers and front seat passengers understand the importance of buckling up, but
it is equally important for those in the rear seat to buckle up as well,” said
Illinois State Police Col. Tad Williams. “The safety of everyone in a vehicle is
dependent on all passengers wearing their seat belt. During a traffic crash,
unbuckled passengers can be thrown around and cause injury to other occupants.
As a reminder, all vehicle passengers are required to wear a seat belt. It’s the
law and it can help save your life or the life of another.”
The September 2015 survey included samples from the City of Chicago, Cook
County, upstate Illinois counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Winnebago)
and downstate Illinois counties (Champaign, Bureau, Effingham, Rock Island,
Madison, and St. Clair.)
Additional statistics show downstate counties have the highest back seat belt
use rate at 90.6 percent. Upstate counties studied in the survey have the next
highest usage rate at 85.7 percent, followed by Cook County and Chicago with
81.8 percent and 69.9 percent, respectively.
(SEE TABLE BELOW)
[Illinois Department of
Transportation/Illinois State Police]
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