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| 1 | AN ACT concerning transportation.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing | ||||||
| 5 | Section 12-603.1 as follows:
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| 6 | (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-603.1)
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| 7 | Sec. 12-603.1. Driver and passenger required to use safety | ||||||
| 8 | belts,
exceptions and penalty. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) Each driver and passenger of a motor vehicle operated | ||||||
| 10 | on a
street or highway in this State shall wear a properly | ||||||
| 11 | adjusted and
fastened seat safety belt. A child less than 8 | ||||||
| 12 | years of age shall
be protected as required pursuant to the | ||||||
| 13 | Child Passenger Protection Act.
Each driver of a motor vehicle | ||||||
| 14 | transporting a child 8 years of age or
more, but less than 16 | ||||||
| 15 | years of age,
shall secure the child in a properly adjusted and | ||||||
| 16 | fastened seat safety belt as required under the Child Passenger | ||||||
| 17 | Protection Act. Each driver of a motor vehicle transporting a | ||||||
| 18 | passenger who is unable, due to infirmity, illness, or age, to | ||||||
| 19 | properly adjust and
fasten a seat
safety belt and is not | ||||||
| 20 | exempted from wearing a seat safety belt under subsection (b)
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| 21 | shall secure the passenger in a properly adjusted and fastened | ||||||
| 22 | seat safety belt as required under this Section.
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| 23 | (b) Paragraph (a) shall not apply to any of the following:
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| 1 | 1. A driver or passenger frequently stopping and | ||||||
| 2 | leaving the vehicle or
delivering property from the | ||||||
| 3 | vehicle, if the speed of the vehicle between
stops does not | ||||||
| 4 | exceed 15 miles per hour.
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| 5 | 2. A driver or passenger possessing a written statement | ||||||
| 6 | from a physician
that such person is unable, for medical or | ||||||
| 7 | physical reasons, to wear a seat
safety belt.
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| 8 | 3. A driver or passenger possessing an official | ||||||
| 9 | certificate or license
endorsement issued by the | ||||||
| 10 | appropriate agency in another state or country
indicating | ||||||
| 11 | that the driver is unable for medical, physical, or other | ||||||
| 12 | valid
reasons to wear a seat safety belt.
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| 13 | 4. A driver operating a motor vehicle in reverse.
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| 14 | 5. A motor vehicle with a model year prior to 1965.
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| 15 | 6. A motorcycle or motor driven cycle.
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| 16 | 7. A moped.
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| 17 | 8. A motor vehicle which is not required to be equipped | ||||||
| 18 | with seat safety
belts under federal law.
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| 19 | 9. A motor vehicle operated by a rural letter carrier | ||||||
| 20 | of the United
States postal service while performing duties | ||||||
| 21 | as a rural letter carrier.
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| 22 | 10. A driver or passenger of an authorized emergency | ||||||
| 23 | vehicle, except this exception does not apply to vehicles | ||||||
| 24 | of the fire department; vehicles of the Office of the State | ||||||
| 25 | Fire Marshal; or ambulances, unless the delivery of | ||||||
| 26 | life-saving measures prohibits the use of a seat safety | ||||||
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| 1 | belt. | ||||||
| 2 | 11. A back seat passenger of a taxicab. | ||||||
| 3 | (c) Failure to wear a seat safety belt in violation of this | ||||||
| 4 | Section
shall not be considered evidence of negligence, shall | ||||||
| 5 | not limit the
liability of an insurer, and shall not diminish | ||||||
| 6 | any recovery for damages
arising out of the ownership, | ||||||
| 7 | maintenance, or operation of a motor vehicle.
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| 8 | (d) A violation of this Section shall be a petty offense | ||||||
| 9 | and subject to a
fine not to exceed $25.
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| 10 | (e) (Blank).
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| 11 | (f) A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a | ||||||
| 12 | motor vehicle,
its contents, the driver, or a passenger solely | ||||||
| 13 | because of a violation of this
Section.
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| 14 | (Source: P.A. 96-554, eff. 1-1-10; 96-991, eff. 1-1-11; 97-16, | ||||||
| 15 | eff. 1-1-12; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)
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| 16 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 17 | becoming law.
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