Hi Randy -
I was stopped tonight in Downers Grove. The officer stated he was stopping me because he did not see my seat belt on, keep in mind it was 11:55 PM and kind of dark. I do respect that the officer is doing his job and I am not upset over this. What I am a bit peeved about is that he wrote a warning citation to me and told me it was for "improper use of a seat belt".
I have a smaller car and wear the shoulder belt under my arm as it chokes me otherwise. There are no adjustments to raise or lower the belt.
I went to the state website and looked up 625 ILCS 5, Section 12-603.1. It simply states,"Each driver and front seat passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway in this State shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt".
My question is... was the officer right when he issued a warning citation for "failure to wear seat belt " (that is what the ticket states)? I do know that this is only a warning and not a moving violation. I guess I am more curious than anything.
Thanks for your help.
Chris
Chris, Illinois law in 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 specifies that you must wear a "properly adjusted and fastened" seat safety belt, so the officer was referring to the correct section. The law defers to performance specifications for safety belts as established by the Illinois Department Of Transportation and the industry. The vehicle owners manual is often used as a reference. In general, an adult should adjust the safety belt so it fits snugly over the hip bones. It should cross your lap low on the hips, not high across your stomach.
A shoulder belt should go over your shoulder and across your body diagonally. It should never be worn under your arm. This is because a seat belt is built to absorb the shock of a crash by "catching" you on major bone areas. You could be injured by wearing the shoulder belt under your arm. However, your rationale is also correct. You do not want the shoulder belt catching you in the neck, it should cross over your shoulder bone instead. Many car manufacturers have an adjustment at the side pillar of the car that allows you to lower or raise the shoulder belt so it fits correctly. If your car does not have this, I would suggest you check with the Manufacturer's Dealership and see if they offer a solution. There are aftermarket products that claim to solve this problem, but I would first check with the dealer, and make sure any other solutions are safe and tested.
Hope that information helps you,
Randy
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