State says seat belt usage up in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD -- Fewer people are dying on Illinois roads and more than 90 percent of motorists are wearing seat belts.

That's according to state officials who said Tuesday that overall fatalities on Illinois roads are down 19 percent in the first six months of this year.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said there have been 484 fatalities so far this year compared to 598 in the same period last year.

A new traffic safety division survey finds that nearly 91 percent of Illinois drivers are wearing seat belts.