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.

You can search for new bills passed by legislature by visiting the Florida
Senate website. Use the “Search Bill Text” field on the left rail.

More information about the Dori Slosberg Foundation can be found on their website.

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