What to know? In Florida, the seatbelt law is broken up between those under the age of 18 and those 18 and up.
- Everyone under the age of 18 must always wear a seatbelt whether they are a driver or passenger, and whether they are in the front seat or back seat of the car.
- If you 18+ and in the backseat of the car, then you do not have to wear a seatbelt.
- If you are 18+ and in the front seat as a passenger or driver you must wear a seatbelt.
For many reasons, you should always wear a seatbelt. First and foremost, the seatbelt helps prevent injuries and death. Second, if you are unbelted and injured in a car accident, the at fault party and their insurance company will argue that your injuries would not have occurred had you worn a seatbelt. Third, in a violent car accident such as a rollover case, the seatbelt helps keep you in the vehicle. Studies have shown that drivers and passengers ejected from a vehicle in a car crash die at a much higher rate than those that remain in the vehicle.
At Kinney & Moore, we have handled numerous cases in which our clients died or suffered life changing injuries after being ejected from a vehicle. The cases are significantly more complex and more expensive because we have to prove that the failure to wear the seatbelt would not have changed the outcome. We have had success with many of these cases. However, in some cases the evidence is overwhelming that the seatbelt would have prevented the injury or death. We recommend you always wear your seatbelt whenever you're in a motor vehicle.