Traffic Safety

Sterling Police Department warns that whether you are traveling across town or across the state, if you or anyone in your vehicle is unbelted, you run the risk of getting an unwelcomed gift from law enforcement. As of January 1, 2012, everyone, no matter the age or seating position, is required to wear a safety belt.

Everyone driving on Illinois roadways is urged to drive carefully, do not drive impaired and, most importantly, buckle up each and every trip, night or day. Remember, the best defense against an impaired driver or a distracted driver is a safety belt.

Safety Belt Usage Statistics

The Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT/DTS) is proud that Illinois has a 94.9% safety belt usage for drivers and 91.3% usage rate for passengers in 2019. However, far too many drivers and passengers still do not buckle up. During 2018 there were 965 fatalities related to traffic accidents.