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Details about Illinois Seat Belt Laws (Part B)

Consequences of Violating Seat Belt Laws

If a police officer or other law enforcement official finds you to be in violation of Illinois seat belt laws, you are subject to a fine. Here are the consequences for the most common seat belt violations in Illinois:

• If you are not wearing your seat belt, you may be fined up to $25.
• If a minor is not properly belted in a vehicle you are driving, then you may be ticketed for the offense.
• If you are charged with failing to properly secure a child under the age of 8 in an appropriate child restraint system, then you could be fined $75 for a first offense and $100 for any offense thereafter.

An important aspect of Illinois seat belt laws is that they are secondary laws as opposed to primary laws. Primary laws mean that you can be pulled over and/or charged with these crimes even if you are not suspected of committing any other crime. But secondary laws are those which can only be enforced if you are detained on suspicion of violating any primary law.

What this means is you cannot be ticketed for a seat belt violation unless you have been detained by police for a separate reason. In other words, police must have probable cause to pull you over before issuing a seat belt citation.

Also, Illinois law states that if you are ticketed for a seat belt violation, it does not constitute probable cause for a police officer to search your vehicle or anyone inside it. That permission must still be obtained from the driver or the passengers. Therefore, you do not have to allow a police officer to search you or your car or truck just because you are given a ticket for a seat belt violation.

Unfortunately, it is still possible to sustain serious injury in a motor vehicle accident even if you are wearing your seat belt properly. If you have been in a vehicle accident where another party was at fault, you should contact a Chicago car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Hiring a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

After a serious car accident, recovering from your injuries should be your main focus, not dealing with insurance adjusters and escalating medical bills. Retaining the legal services of a Chicago car accident lawyer can help you focus on getting better while your attorney deals with the insurance companies on your behalf.

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. will help you monitor your medical expenses and work toward a settlement to cover all of the treatments you need to get your life back on track. Contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

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Skokie, IL 60077
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