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Seat belt, other laws, making our roadways safer
By the Pantagraph Editorial Board
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Give credit where credit is due — and Illinois motorists deserve credit for buckling up in greater numbers and reducing traffic fatalities.

Of course, the state’s travelers had some encouragement, in the form of a state law that allows police to stop vehicles whose front-seat occupants are not wearing seatbelts, regardless of whether any other law is being violated.

For the second year in a row, the percentage of motorists and front seat passengers who are buckling up exceeded 90 percent in Illinois, but just barely — 90.5 percent this year, 90.1 percent last year.

That’s not the only good news.

The number of fatalities the first six months of the year is down nearly 20 percent — 484 through the end of June compared to 598 during the same period in 2007, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of traffic Safety.

The figures are preliminary and might be changed. But they are a good sign.

Even more worthy of celebration is the dramatic decrease in teen deaths on our highways. The state reports that 39 teenagers died in traffic accidents in the first half of 2008 — less than half the death toll of 82 in the first six months of 2007.

We hope this improvement continues and is evidence that tough laws are making a difference. Changes such as creation of provisional licenses for young drivers, more required time behind the wheel while in the learner’s permit phase and driving curfews must be factors in that decrease.

Credit Secretary of State Jesse White, among others, for pushing legislation for graduated licenses for teen drivers and talking about the subject every chance he gets.

The high cost of gasoline also could have a positive impact on traffic fatalities, as people curtail their travel to save money.

But that can’t be counted on for long-lasting improvement. Most people are likely to adapt to the higher prices and/or buy more fuel efficient cars.

What’s needed more than changes in fuel prices are changes in drivers’ habits.

More people heeding the warning of “click it or ticket” is a good change in habit. But we also need people to obey speed limits and avoid distractions while driving, such as talking on cell phones.

We want to see the traffic fatality figures continue to fall and the percentage of seat belt use continue to rise.

Improved highway safety doesn’t occur by accident; it takes deliberate actions, such as buckling your seat belt, driving defensively and obeying traffic laws.

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Reader comments on this story - 5 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Noober wrote on Jul 23, 2008 1:10 PM:

" Do we really need a law requiring seatbelts to be worn. Is it really the job of our government to pass laws to tell us how we should provide for our own personal safety. What's next? A law requiring us to wear plastic bubble suits so we don't breathe in anything toxic or fall and hurt ourselves. When will this all end. "

Jarhead71 wrote on Jul 23, 2008 12:41 PM:

" This whole scam is insurance company inspired. Instead of insurance companies telling their policy holders that they require seatbelt use to cover injuries, they have their puppet Legislators pass a feel good law requiring that law enforcement officers enforce insurance company policies on the public. Think about all of the MANDATORY SAFETY requirements in traffic laws. They are insurance company sponsored laws to reduce insurance company responsibilities and cost-losses calculations. "

the_goat wrote on Jul 23, 2008 10:34 AM:

" crafty hamm: We'll we've got to pay for Gov. Rod's airplane rides somehow right? Let's just make something that everyone does illegal, then collect revenue from it! "

crafty hamm wrote on Jul 23, 2008 6:03 AM:

" Sadly this Click it or ticket is another example of our lying government . When the seat beat law went into effect we were told tickets for seatbealt violation would only be issued if another violation occurred. "

MRS. wrote on Jul 23, 2008 5:34 AM:

" I don't understand. I wear my seatbelt every time I leave the driveway but how does wearing a seatbelt make the roads safer? They make the person wearing the seatbelt safer (usually) but how do they make the road safer> You can get in an accident while wearing your seatbelt. "
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