Orlando Seatbelt Laws Explained

Orlando seatbelt laws are there to protect us. It goes without saying, but it is worth mentioning that these seatbelt laws were created and are enforced ultimately to save lives. Seatbelt laws are strictly upheld in the state of Florida and in bigger metropolitan areas like the city of Orlando.

According to Florida Stat. § 316.614 (4)(a): “It is unlawful for any person: To operate a motor vehicle or an autocycle in this state unless each passenger and the operator of the vehicle or autocycle under the age of 18 years are restrained by a safety belt or by a child restraint device”

Which means, when you in a moving vehicle, you and all your passengers, must be wearing seatbelts. Additionally, there are some exceptions to Orlando seatbelt laws and some cases in which these laws can be temporarily changed. Please read the seatbelt statute carefully, or consult with an Orlando car accident lawyer.

The Florida Seat Belt Laws In Plain English

The laws regarding seatbelt use are in effect throughout the state, not just Orlando. For the most part, these laws will generally apply even country-wide, though each state will uphold some exceptions differently.

For now, if you are driving in Florida, and driving in Orlando, keep these seatbelt safety laws in mind:

• All drivers are required to wear a seat belt when driving a vehicle.
• All passengers are also required to wear a seat belt particularly those sitting in the front seat of the vehicle.
• Any of the passengers under 18 years old riding in the backseat of the vehicle must also wear seat belts.
• All children aged 3 and below are required to be seated in a federally approved restraint seat.
• Children aged 4-5 are also required to be seated in a federally approved seat or safety belt.

Orlando seatbelt laws adapt the same rules imposed in the state of Florida. Plus, that includes the primary law making it illegal to be unrestrained while riding a car.

New Laws On Seat Belt

In the past, a driver or a passenger can only be pulled over and issued a citation ticket for an infraction, such as a speeding violation. Since 2009, a police officer can do the same simply if you are not wearing your seatbelt.

Although people think that it is not justifiable to be pulled over only for not wearing a seatbelt, this will definitely help save lives.

Seat Belts Save Lives

Obviously, the passengers inside the car traveling on the road are at the same speed as the vehicle. So, when a collision occurs, the car is stopped instantly. When this happens, the passengers will now be moving faster than the vehicle is.

This makes seat belts significant because they can safely slow down the passengers once the car stops. Without a seat belt to decelerate the passenger, there will be a higher risk of injury or fatality.

Exceptions To The Seatbelt Law

• A passenger under a medical condition as certified with a physician causing the seat belt to be dangerous or inappropriate.
• Newspaper home delivery employee upon distribution of newspapers
• Farm equipment
• Buses used for transport of people for compensation
• Trucks having a net weight of over 26,000lbs

In conclusion, the best safety feature of your vehicle is the seat belt, which will only work if you use it.

Passengers involved in Car Accidents

Sometimes, our Orlando personal injury attorneys represent passengers who were involved in accident, who were not driving and who were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.

How much can passengers receive in a car accident settlement? Of course, that all depends on the circumstances of the accident, and the degree of fault and the severity of the injuries the passenger sustained.

But, if you were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, you will may receive much less compensation. It’s very likely that you will still receive settlement money, including money to cover injuries, medical bills and lost wages, but the insurance company will push to award you less money because you were not following Florida seat belt laws.

You have to discuss this with your Orlando car accident attorney. You may have a case and your lawyer may be able to fight for a larger settlement, so do not give up! Call our Orlando personal injury firm at: (407) 289-0020. Visit us at our Orlando location at 5401 South Kirkman Road, Suite 310, Orlando, FL, 32819.

Back Seat Passengers

Only passengers aged 18 and older are not obliged to wear seat belts under the Orlando seatbelt laws. However, those under the age of 18 need to wear seat belts wherever they are seated inside the car. It is a primary offense not to have a child in a seat belt or car seat.

Adults are not required to wear seat belts in the back seat. However, this can still put the unrestrained passenger to harm since it can hurl him or her into the front seat.

In fact, an unbelted passenger will increase the risk of injury or death to other passengers of the car by 40%.

When In Doubt Make Call An Expert Attorney

We hope the information in this post has been helpful, but ultimately, you can learn about Orlando seatbelt laws and still not understand the complexities of the law. We suggest speaking with a lawyer as soon as possible.

An auto accident attorney will unpack the details of your specific case and make sense of it. You may not realize you have a case, or you may dismiss important details. Which is why we always encourage people who have been in car accidents in Orlando to reach out to us first:(407) 289-0020.