You know that seat belts save lives, but they only work if you wear them. You also know that seat belt laws are in place in every state simply because they save lives. They protect you from being tossed out of your vehicle in a collision, thrown against objects or other passengers, and keep you behind the wheel so you can work to control your vehicle.
The thing is, seat belts don’t work if you don’t use them. And neither do child safety seats. Florida has laws for seat belts, and also very strict laws involving passengers of a certain age. Anyone under the age of 18 is require to wear a seat belt. Drivers are required by law to ensure that anyone under the age of four is in an approved safety seat.
Summary of child seat safety laws in Florida
The child seat safety laws in Florida can be summarized as follows:
Children under four must be secured in a safety seat.
School buses must be equipped with safety belts – Florida is actually one of only two states that requires this.
Children who have a medical condition that could preclude the use of a seat belt will be exempt from the requirement to be restrained.
A seat belt without a booster seat can be used for children between the ages of four and five if the child is being transported as a courtesy, or in an emergency.
Parents are required to provide proper child seats to anyone transporting their children.
Penalties
If you violate the laws regarding child seats in the state of Florida, you could be fined $60 and have points assessed against your driver’s license. The laws are not there for the express purpose of punishing you; they are there to protect your children, so obey them.
