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Question of the day

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Illinois

Illinois State Police Troop 7 Commander, Acting Captain Brian Dickmann, has announced the results of Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) held in Macon and Vermilion counties during January.

These OREPs provided extra patrol coverage for the ISP so officers could focus on saving lives by making sure all vehicle occupants were buckled up.

Among violations reported were 25 safety belt citations; 1 child restraint citations; 34 total citations; and 11 total written warnings.

* The Question: How often do you wear your seat belt? Explain.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:23 pm

Comments

100% of the time. It costs me nothing to do, so why not?

Comment by Homebody Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:27 pm
100% of the time. My family’s car was t-boned when I was a teenager; my seat belt saved me from serious injury other than a laceration on my arm.

Comment by stateandlake Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:29 pm
Always- car will ding like crazy if it’s not on. Does the same if theres a passenger.

Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:30 pm
First, can we stop calling them seat belts and call them safety belts? Second, everyone in the front seat of a vehicle I am in must wear the safety belt or I’m out. I prefer the same for the back but I’m less dramatic about that.

Comment by Lurker Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:36 pm
Incredibly close to every time I’m in the driver’s seat. I can think of a handle of times when I’ve just moved the car like 20 feet to park somewhere else that I haven’t put it on, and it feels weird, my subconscious knows something is missing.

As a passenger my record is lower, but still most of the time I have it on.

Comment by Perrid Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:36 pm
Always Why tempt fate

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:37 pm
Every seat, every trip, every time. It is the single biggest thing we can do to save lives.

Comment by NotSoCivilEngineer Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:37 pm
Seat belt saved my life in a bad accident that left me hanging upside down strapped in. So, every time.

Comment by Michael Westen Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:38 pm
Always. I was in a collision over 30 years ago where my car was totaled. I walked away with bruises and a bump on my head. Yes, I was wearing my seat belt and I believe it saved me from serious injury.

Comment by Manchester Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:38 pm
I believe G.I. Joe would say “staying in the car is half the battle:”

Comment by jimmy james Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:40 pm
Always. I’m sad when I read, “victim was thrown from vehicle”.

Comment by Stix Hix Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:43 pm
Always. The mind boggles that this is even a question.

Comment by The Opinions Bureau Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:44 pm
100% of the time

Comment by workingfromhome Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:44 pm
Always. Even in the long driveway to and from the house. Several close calls with deer jumping out in front of the car on just that bit of the drive.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:48 pm
I wouldn’t even start a car without first buckling the safety belt.

I’ve rolled two cars and luckily survived.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:49 pm
Religiously, and I’m an Agnostic.

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 2:56 pm
all the time. when I was a teenager, I was a passenger in a wreck and wasn’t wearing it. I was thrown from the vehicle and luckily walked away with only a little headache

Comment by 62629 Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:08 pm
Always.

Comment by Northsider Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:14 pm
99.8% of the time (may have slipped on a couple ultra-short hops between parking lots…)

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:18 pm
I’ve worn my safety belt 100% of the time since I was in an accident in 1984…before the law. I even put it on if I’m stopping at the end of the lane to get out and put something in the mailbox. I’m afraid I’ll forget to stop and just keep driving, so I put it on.

A few years ago I hit black ice and rolled my Jeep 2 1/2 times. I ended up with two bruises, that’s it.

Yay for safety belts. (enthusiastic punctuation)

Comment by Dog Lover Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:24 pm
Always.

Comment by DuPage Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:25 pm
Always.

Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:29 pm
Like Lake County and Perrid, I’ve maybe left it off if I’m moving from parking space to parking space, otherwise, always. My daughter won’t move the car unless every passenger is buckled in.

Comment by Downstate Sally Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:48 pm
Always. 100 percent. In the early 90s I was one of the first motorists to stop at a winter rural rollover crash in which an unbelted driver had been thrown halfway out of the vehicle that then rolled over on him. I drove his girlfriend and other passengers into the nearby town so they could connect with their families and go home. I usually wore my seat/safety belt prior to that. I’ve always worn it since.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 3:54 pm
Can you even buy a car that will let you drive sans a seatbelt without an insistent “ding, ding, ding?”

Comment by Duck Duck Goose Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:04 pm
100% of the time. It’s become such a habit that even if I’m just moving the truck out of the driveway I instinctively put it on.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:05 pm
100% of the time. I feel naked and vulnerable sitting in a car without the seat belt buckled, even when the engine is off.

Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:15 pm
99% of the time. My parents live 3 blocks away and sometimes I just go without buckling. I get there before it even dings at me.

Duck Duck Goose, you can get that deactivated at a dealership… at least my parents did….

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:24 pm
Every single time.

Many years ago, I was sideswiped by a car on the Kennedy. My car flipped over. If I hadn’t been wearing my seat belt, I probably wouldn’t be here to tell you this story.

Comment by JoanP (and her cats) Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:36 pm
Considering we never wore safety belts when I learned to drive, back in the day, it was an easy habit to adopt. I wear one every time I get in any car in any seat.

Comment by Chicago Voter Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:38 pm
That was the best bill I ever passed! Only 14.5 % were wearing it in 1984 and now I Believe IDOT would say it’s around 95%.

Comment by John Cullerton Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 4:45 pm
100% of the time. There’s no excuse not to.

Comment by Shytown Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:14 pm
Always. It’s such a habit, it feels weird not to put it on to back out of the garage, when I get the mower out.

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:15 pm
Always no exceptions it is safer and no need getting a ticket. I would wear them even if you did not have to.

Comment by clec dcn Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:19 pm
My son used to get on me when I would put on as I was “in motion”. Got a new car last year - the dinging drives me nuts to not have it on.

Comment by bogey golfer Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:28 pm
I used to jump from airplanes at night on purpose. I always wear my safety belt. Why tempt fate?

Comment by FormerParatrooper Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:33 pm
99% of the time. There are exceptions sometimes when I’m only driving a couple blocks or in the back seat (not in an uber or cab) which is rare.

Comment by New Day Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 5:48 pm
Always, since November 1983. We were out of town when we found out we’d lost our home and were left with nothing but some clothes and our lemony Chevette Scooter. As we drove onto the highway to seek help from family, we started discussing next steps and buckling up was one of the first. It actually did make us feel the teensiest bit more secure or empowered and quickly became a habit.

Comment by yinn Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 6:07 pm
Always before, and always after, my 2022 accident where somebody ran the stoplight and hit me, spinning my car almost 180 degrees. Without being belted in I’d have suffered more than muscle strains and soreness.

Comment by thisjustinagain Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 6:09 pm
I love cats…JoanP’s included.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 6:14 pm
100% of the time.

My brother was in the backseat and seriously injured, the driver was killed, and the passenger…wearing his seatbelt…walked away without a scratch.

Comment by Jocko Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 6:58 pm
100%, and I pull the shoulder strap to snug down the lap belt.

Comment by Barnaby Wilde Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 8:26 pm
Every. Single. Time. The ROI is infinite. Not much else is more logical.

Comment by Keep it Real Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 8:33 pm
I always wear my seatbelt. I also insist that the person sitting behind me wear their seatbelt. I had a friend that was sitting in the front seat of a car that was in a bad accident. He was wearing his seatbelt but the gentleman sitting behind him was not wearing a belt. My friend suffered a serious back injury as he was sandwiched between his seat belt and his back seat passenger flying into the back of his seat.

Comment by Southern IL Bob Too Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 8:35 pm
Every time I’m in a vehicle.

Comment by Thunderspirit Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 8:44 pm
Always. It only takes a few seconds and can make a huge difference.
Same thing with immediately locking the car door as soon as I close it. Always.

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Monday, Jan 29, 24 @ 9:09 pm
===I prefer the same for the back but I’m less dramatic about that.===

I’m extremely dramatic. All of my kids believed my car WOULD NOT START until everyone’s seat belt was buckled until they were around 8. If an adult in the back seat won’t buckle up, I will not put the car into gear. I will pull over if someone takes their seatbelt off. (And if it’s my misbehaving children, I will turn off on to a sideroad, turn the car off, and sit there silently until they re-buckle.)

I am 100% comfortable sitting there with my car in park until every person in the car is fully buckled. People who don’t like it can get out and walk.

Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Jan 30, 24 @ 9:46 pm