FLORIDA'S NEW SEAT BELT LAW GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY

Buckle Up or Pay Up

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.