As a Chicago car accident attorney, I want to express my support for the new Illinois law requiring that adults wear seat belts while riding in the back seat of a vehicle, which took effect on the first of this year. As winter weather conditions make Chicago area roads more dangerous, the simple step of wearing a seat belt can prevent serious injury or death in the event of an accident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010, 38 un-belted back seat passengers died in car crashes in Illinois. While this may seem like a relatively small number, many of these deaths likely could have been averted if the passengers were wearing their seat belts. I strongly encourage Illinois motorists to follow this new law to avoid getting a ticket, and more importantly, to prevent serious injuries or death.