Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
In Hollywood, Miami, and across Broward County and Miami-Dade County, seatbelts save lives every day. In car collisions, seat belts keep passengers from crashing through windows and windshields, reducing the risk of serious injury.
More About Seatbelts and Florida Law
The modern three-point seatbelt was invented in 1955, but didn’t become common in cars until the late 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1980s that seatbelt laws came into effect in the U.S., with Florida passing its first seatbelt laws in 1986.
Today, seatbelt use is required for all passengers. However, children under the age of 4 must use a federally-approved child restraint system. Until the age of 5, children may be using a federally-approved child restraint system or a seatbelt, but they must be using the correct restraint system.
Under Florida law, it is the duty of the driver to make sure all passengers are wearing a seatbelt, or, in the case of children, the correct restraint system. Failure to wear seatbelts can result in tickets and fines.
In 2009, Florida changed its legislation to make seatbelt laws a primary law. This means that law enforcement can now pull over a driver for no other reason than that they are not wearing a seatbelt and can issue a ticket for that violation.
More About Seatbelts and Collisions
Florida has a lower seatbelt safety use rate than the rest of the country. While nationwide 90.7% of people use safety belts, in Florida that number drops to 89.8%. Those who choose not to wear seatbelts can put themselves in danger, because in a collision, seat belts can:
- Keep the body in place: One of the most important jobs of a seatbelt is to keep car occupants from being thrown around the interior of a car, which can reduce the risk of fractures and other serious injury.
- Prevent head injuries: Being thrown around the inside the car can cause traumatic brain injuries in two ways: by allowing a passenger’s head to hit the dashboard or other surfaces or by allowing the passenger’s head and body to be violently shaken, to the point that a head injury can occur. A seatbelt can reduce both these risks.
- Reduce the risk of being thrown from the car: A passenger without a seatbelt can easily be thrown from the car. The force of a collision can crash a person through a windshield with significant force. Once a passenger is thrown from a car, their risk of injuries is high. They can sustain spinal cord injuries, facial disfigurement, road burn, internal injuries, head injuries, and also fatal injuries.
- Reduce the risk of internal injuries: Crashing against the interior of the car with force during a collision can cause a significant impact—enough to cause life-threatening internal injuries. A seatbelt can reduce the risk.
Even if you’re wearing a seatbelt, you can sustain injuries, especially if the seat belt was designed or manufactured incorrectly. If you have been injured in a crash anywhere in South Florida and would like to know whether you have a products liability claim or car accident injury claim, call Flaxman Law Group 866-352-9626. Our phones are staffed 24/7. You can also schedule a free, no obligation consultation; just contact us online.