Florida
Seatbelt Laws and Seat Belt Safety from Your Auto Accident
Lawyer in Tampa, Florida
As an experienced car accident lawyer
in Tampa, the firm of attorneys at Clark and Martino,
P.A., understand that serious injuries can happen regardless
of whether a seatbelt is worn or not. The statistics, however,
make a great case in favor of Florida seatbelt laws and
seat belt safety.
Virtually all states have some type of seat belt law. Seat
belt laws come in two different forms: primary and secondary.
A primary seatbelt law allows a ticket to be issued to the
driver for non-use of seatbelts, even if no other traffic
violation has occurred. A secondary seatbelt law says that
an officer may issue a ticket for non-use of seatbelts only
if the vehicle is stopped for another reason.
Florida seatbelt laws are basically secondary seatbelt
laws. Florida’s current seat belt law requires all
front seat occupants to wear a seat belt, regardless of
age or whether the vehicle has an airbag. Passengers 18
and older can be ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt. The
driver may be ticketed for passengers under the age of 18
who are not properly restrained. Children from 6 to 17 years
old must be belted regardless of whether they’re sitting
in a front seat or back seat. For children under the age
of 6, there are further restrictions and higher penalties
in Florida regarding seat belt safety. Through the age of
3, the child must be secured in a separate approved carrier
or in an integrated child safety seat. Children ages 4 and
5 may be seated in a separate carrier, integrated child
safety seat, or safety belt.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), lap and shoulder seatbelts, when used, reduce the
risk of fatal injuries of front-seat car occupants by 45
percent. Seatbelts reduce the risk of moderate to critical
injuries in cars by 50 percent. For light truck occupants,
seatbelts reduce the risk of fatal, critical, and moderate
injuries at even higher percentages. In addition, the NHTSA
estimates that 15,383 lives were saved in 2006 because of
seatbelt use.
While there’s nothing you can do to guarantee safety
on the road, seatbelts greatly reduce the risk of moderate,
critical, and fatal injuries in car accidents. One of the
main ways that Florida seatbelt laws save lives is by preventing
the chance of being ejected from the vehicle, which is one
of the most deadly events that can happen during an auto
accident. If you’d like to speak to a car
accident lawyer in Tampa about injuries you sustained
during an auto accident or because of seatbelt failure or
poor design, please call or e-mail Clark and Martino, P.A.
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