In the event of an automobile accident, statistics show you are much more likely to be killed if you are not wearing a seat belt and shoulder harness. Florida law states that the front seat passengers must wear seat belts. This law applies to any car manufactured since 1968. In addition, all passengers under 18 years old must wear a seat belt or be otherwise restrained by an appropriate child car seat. It is a violation of Florida law to operate a vehicle if all passengers do not meet these standards. The current cost for a seat belt violation is $30. For a child that is not properly restrained the violation is $60. Those are the monetary costs; the cost of a life or serious injury is obviously much higher. Below are some details about Florida seat belt laws which everyone operating or riding in a motor vehicle should be aware of.
Florida Seat Belt Stats and Laws:
- Every hour, someone dies in America as a result of not wearing a seat belt.
- Failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior.
- Back seat passengers who do not wear seat belts are three times more likely to die or have serious injuries than passengers who wear a seat belt in the back seat.
- Passengers up to the age of 18 must be belted when in either the front or back seat of a vehicle.
- All front seat occupants must buckle up.
- The driver is held responsible for passengers under 18 years of age who are not wearing seat belts as required by Florida law.
- Passengers 18 years of age or older may be individually fined if they are not wearing seat belts.
The most important job as a parent is to keep your children safe. Knowing the legal requirements when driving with your children in the car or allowing them to ride in someone else’s vehicle is just the first step. There are ways to go above and beyond that to ensure your child’s safety.
Here is a summary of requirements per Florida law as pertaining specifically to infants and children riding in motor vehicles:
Infants should ride rear-facing in a back seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their infant-only seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible seat.
Toddlers and preschoolers – It is best for children to ride rear-facing as long as possible to the highest weight and height allowed by the manufacturer of their convertible seat. When they have outgrown the seat rear-facing, they should use a forward-facing seat with a full harness for as long as they fit in it.
School-aged children – Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. Children should stay in a booster seat until adult belts fit correctly (usually when a child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).
Children who have outgrown their booster seats should ride in a lap and shoulder seat belt in the back seat until 13 years of age.
Refer to http://www.dmvflorida.org/seat-belt-laws.shtml for further details and information regarding Florida Seat Belt Laws.
If you or a loved one is injured in an auto accident, call 1800-FLA-LAWYER today for your free consultation.