Florida- Driving Change to Seat Belt Law
Beginning June 30, 2009, driving in Florida without wearing a seatbelt will
be a primary offense. Currently, F.S. 316.614(8) considers failure to wear a
seat belt a secondary offense. The new bill S344 makes the offense a primary
offense.
The difference between secondary and primary offenses is that a citation can
only be issued for a secondary offense when the driver is pulled over for
some other reason; a primary offense. Currently, drivers can not be pulled
over just because they’re not wearing their seatbelts. An officer would have
to pull the driver over for a primary offense, such as a broken tail light,
failure to yield, inproper backing, etc., in order to issue a citation for
not wearing a seat belt.
As of June 30, 2008, there were 27 states who had primary safety belt laws in
effect. According to NHTSA: "Research has found that lap/shoulder seat belts,
when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car
occupantsby 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50
percent. In 2006 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 15,383 lives (Traffic
Safety Facts: 2006 Data, NHTSA, DOT HS 810807). For more information on the
campaign by NHTSA and the States to increase seat belt use, see
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/link/ciot.htm."
Bill S344 is titled "Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law".
Former state representative Irv Slosberg took up the cause after his
14-year-old daughter Dori, died in a car crash in Boca Raton. Four other
teens also died in the high-speed wreck 13 years ago. None were wearing a
seat belt.
Since it’s a primary offense now you can also request a traffic school if cited. But the best way to avoid traffic school is to actually wear your belt… it will also save your life one day.
