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Florida adopts primary seat belt enforcement

After years of failed attempts to adopt legislation allowing for stricter seat belt enforcement on Florida roads, state lawmakers approved a bill permitting police to pull drivers over for not buckling up.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed the bill into law Wednesday, May 6, making Florida the 28th state to allow police to pull over drivers solely for not wearing their seat belts. New Hampshire is the only state without a mandatory seat belt law.

A massive budget deficit in the state and the last crack at millions in one-time incentives from the federal government could very well have helped swing the argument in favor of adopting primary enforcement of the seat belt law.

Currently, police in Florida can ticket drivers for not buckling up only after stopping a vehicle for another traffic violation, such as speeding or a bad taillight. When the new law takes effect June 30, law enforcement will no longer need another reason for stopping drivers and issuing $30 fines for failure to buckle up.

The effort to make a seat belt violation a primary offense has been an annual occurrence. The push had been led by former Democratic state Rep. Irv Slosberg of Boca Raton, whose daughter Dori was killed in a 1996 crash when she wasn’t wearing a seat belt. Slosberg left the Legislature after the 2006 session, and other lawmakers became responsible for waving the banner for primary seat-belt enforcement.

Until this year, the effort continued to run into opposition from those warning of Big Brother-style government intrusion or racial profiling. Supporters said saving lives and the lure of federal money should be reason enough to approve the stricter rule.

The 2005 federal highway funding legislation gives any state that adopts tougher seat belt rules one-time grant money. The last chance for states to upgrade their seat belt law and have access to extra federal funding is Sept. 30.

Arkansas already took the step this year allowing the state to secure nearly $10 million for highway safety programs. The same action in Florida will result in $35.5 million from the federal government.

To view other legislative activities of interest for Florida in 2009, click here .

Editor’s Note: Please share your thoughts with us about the legislation included in this story. Comments may be sent to [email protected] .