Peoria, Il.  – If you think you can travel in Illinois over Memorial Day without wearing your seat belt- think again.  The 2014 Illinois Click It or Ticket campaign kicked off May 9.

The Peoria Police Department is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois State Police (ISP) and hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across the state to save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws.

In Illinois, as of January 1, 2012, all drivers and passengers must wear seat belts in all seating positions in the car, not just the front seat.  During statewide observational surveys conducted by IDOT in 2013, the overall usage rate for rear seat occupants was 77.4 percent versus 93.7 percent for drivers and front seat passengers.

“Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busy summer driving season, and we want to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound,” said Lt. Steve Roegge, Peoria Police Special Operation Unit.  “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone, front or back seat, who is not wearing a seat belt.”

In 2012, back seat passengers in Illinois accounted for 46 fatalities and over 5,000 injuries.  Out of those 46 fatalities, 30 of them were not wearing their seat belt.