Does everybody agree on the need for mandatory seat belt laws?
No. Drivers “should have the right to determine what they do for their own well-being,” said Jim Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association. “Overwhelmingly, a seat belt protects the person who is wearing it, not anybody else.” Even so, the NMA encourages motorists to use seat belts because they reduce injuries in most circumstances. Baxter said he wears a seat belt more often than not. He doesn’t think there are any serious efforts to get rid of Illinois’ mandatory seat belt law. The NMA has about 6,000 members in the United States and Canada. Its funding comes from members’ dues and donations, as well as advertising on its Web site, Baxter said. Q: Why are there fewer fatal crashes? A: Transportation officials give some of the credit to the heightened use of seat belts. Preliminary figures show a 10.3 percent decline in the overall number of fatalities on Illinois roads — 434 in the first half of 2009, compared to 484 in the first half of 2008. Baxter, though, believes
