Florida's new seat belt law goes into effect today. Failure to wear one can cost as much as $119.
The new law lets law enforcement pull over vehicles if they see a driver or front-seat passenger not wearing a seat belt even if the car is doing nothing wrong. Before today, investigators could hand out a seat belt citation as a secondary offence only if motorists were stopped for another moving violation.
Something that is not new, but often unknown, is that if you are involved in a car accident and were not wearing your seatbelt, Florida Statute 316.614(10) states that your failure to wear a seat belt in a car accident can be comparative negligence on your part. As a result, a jury could reduce an automobile accident settlement because the injured person was not wearing their seat belt.
So, buckle up to avoid a ticket and drive safely to avoid a car accident. For more information about your rights after a Florida car accident, click here to schedule a free consultation with Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.
