Passengers driving in a vehicle while not wearing a seatbelt will now be ticketed and fined up to $25 for violating a new law that took effect in Illinois on Jan. 1.

Unlike the prior state-enforced laws, where only the driver and front-seat passenger had to wear a seat belt, House Bill 219, or the Occupant Protection Plan, mandates that all passengers must utilize the safety device.

Illinois is the 26th state to put such a law into affect.

The bill, which was approved back on June 27, was sponsored by State Rep. Mark Beaubien Jr. of Barrington Hills, who died on June 5.

This law also pertains to passengers in other modes of transportations such as taxicabs, according to the bill.

But, the law also states that an “officer may not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its contents, the driver or a passenger solely because of a violation” of the law.

Dave Chambers, deputy chief of the Charleston Police Department, said the CPD will continue to maintain “standard traffic procedure.”

“When we make a stop we’ll be looking to see if people are buckled in,” Chambers said.

Chambers said the department is not planning to conduct at-random roadside safety checks, and do not plan to start any.

“Our enforce that we would do would be contained to activities of a normal for the taillight being out, running a stop sign or speeding,” Chambers said.

Chambers said the new law is not supposed to infringe on the rights of Illinoisans, but further protect them.

“There is absolutely no question that wearing a seat belt has a higher propensity of saving you from injury or death than does not wearing a seat belt,” Chambers said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50 percent.

John Jenkins, a junior sociology major, said he does not like to wear his seat belt while in a car because its makes him feel uncomfortable.

Jenkins said he does not see the necessity in wearing a seat belt if someone is traveling a short distance.

Angela Rogers, a sophomore art major, said she always wears her seat belt and thinks people will be more likely to follow the rules if they will be fined.

“I wear my seat belt because I don’t want to fly through the front window, but I think that because there’s a penalty people may think twice,” Rogers said.

Brooke Jones, a junior kinesiology and sports studies major, said she finds wearing a seat belt tedious because of her small town upbringing.

“My parents never made me wear my seat belt in the backseat because I grew up in a town of 500 and I was always just getting in and getting out,” Jones said.

Rogers said there is no excuse not to wear a seat belt.

Jenkins disagrees.

“Sometimes you are going around the corner and it’s not really a safety issue,” he said.

Jenkins also said he does not like the work associated with trying to put on a seat belt while in the backseat.

“The belt is usually in the seat and if people are in the back with you, then it can get complicated,” he said.

Americans ages 18-24 have the highest crash-related injury rates of all adults, and ages 18-34 are less likely to wear seat belts than adults 35 or older, according to the CDC.

Danielle Sanders, a freshman communication disorders and sciences major, said she thinks the new law is stupid.

“I just don’t like to wear my seat belt in the backseat,” Sanders said. “I like to move around.”

Sanders said she especially does not like the way seat belts restricts her.

“I like to move around (in the car),” Sanders said.

The law will need to be enforced well to make an impact, or for people to adhere to it more, Sanders said.

Kiairah Lindsey, a senior health studies major, said she does not think the law will affect those determined not to wear the safety device.

Rogers said she feels like the benefits of utilizing seat belts should out way the possible discomfort.

Rogers said she has known a few people who have gotten into car accidents and were relatively unscathed.

Rogers said she credits their safety to their use of seat belts.

“I think if they weren’t wearing their seat belts, their injures would have been a lot more severe,” she said.

Liz Moll, a sophomore communication studies major, said she is glad the law exists and hopes people with adhere to the law.

Moll said she realized how important how seat belts were when one of her best friends was involved in a collision that resulted in the deaths to people close to her.

“She was the only survivor from the crash and she lost both her dad and her sister,” Moll said. “They were hit head on by a person that was intoxicated with 47 different substances-she barely survived.”

The family was on their way to Canada and the sister did not have her seat belt on because of the long drive, Moll said.

“(The sister) went through the windshield,” Moll said. “They decided to cut her off from life support because she was going to be a vegetable for the rest of her life.”

Moll said the accident changed the way she sees driving-related circumstances.

“If my friends are like ‘I’ll be fine driving from the party’ then I’m like ‘no, give me your keys you are not driving home,'” Moll said.

Moll said her friend continues to have health issues because of injuries sustained in the accident.

“She was in the hospital for months,” Moll said. “If she didn’t wear (the seat belt) she would have been gone.”

The University Police Department could not be reached for comment.

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].