If you don't wear your seat belt, officers will now be able to pull you over and give you a ticket.

There's been a seat belt law since 1987. The thing that's changing is officers used to only be able to give you a ticket after they pulled you over for something else.

"It's real important. What we'd like to see is it become a habit,” says Lt. Jeff Lorentz with the State Patrol. “If you're going to create a habit out there, why not safety belts?"

The Department of Transportation says right now, 74% of all drivers in Wisconsin wear their seat belts compared to the national average of 83%. It says states that have already changed their enforcement typically increased seat belt use by 10%.

The DOT says in Wisconsin, a 10% increase would save 44 lives a year, prevent 650 injuries annually, and would save $147 million in medical expenses.

"It's not about writing the citation,” Lt. Lorentz says. “It's about compliance and our goal is voluntary compliance. So, if everyone voluntarily wears their safety belt, it's just wonderful."

But, when we talked to drivers about the change we got all sorts of opinions:

"I think the seat belt thing is great! I always wear mine and everyone who rides with me wears theirs, too."

"I think it's the government trying to regulate personal safety which is just more intrusion into people's lives."

"I think it's a double standard. If they would enforce helmet laws the same, because they're both safety issues, then I’d say fine."

"Hopefully more people will buckle up to avoid the fine and everyone will be safer."

"If it saves just one, it's worth it,” Lt. Lorentz says.

Seat belt tickets will still be $10. They can go to a driver or a passenger.

Lt. Lorentz says the law change also makes Wisconsin eligible for at least $15.2 million in federal funding for our roads.