CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The Champaign Police Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police, and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up during the upcoming Memorial Day travel period.

High-visibility seat belt enforcement will be in effect across Illinois from May 15 to May 26, with officers promoting safe driving and issuing citations or warnings to those not wearing seat belts, Police Chief Timothy T. Tyler said. “The decision to use a seat belt may seem trivial to some, but it can mean the difference between minor aches and serious injury,” Tyler said.

Illinois first enacted its seat belt law on July 1, 1985, and strengthened it in 2003 to allow officers to pull over drivers solely for failing to buckle up. Since then, seat belt usage in the state has risen from 15.9% in 1985 to 93% in 2025, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Champaign Police Department said enforcement efforts will focus on arterial routes, and the campaign is funded with federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT.