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Governor Signs Mandatory Seat Belt Law

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May 6, 2009 2:15 pm US/Eastern

Governor Signs Mandatory Seat Belt Law

Allows Law Enforcement To Ticket Drivers For Not Wearing A Seat Belt

Under Previous Law, Drivers Can Only Get A Seat Belt Citation If They're Pulled Over For Another Violation

Reporting
Lisa Cilli
E-mail
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ― It's time for Florida drivers to click it or get a ticket thanks to a bill being signed into law Wednesday that toughens the state's seat belt rules.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed the Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law which now allows police to pull over drivers who aren't wearing their seat belts. Under previous law, drivers can only get a seat belt citation if they're pulled over for another violation.

The law is named in the memory of the two young women killed in separate accidents while not wearing seat belts.

A seat belt violation will carry a $30 fine. The new law also makes Florida eligible for a one-time $35.5 million payment in federal highway money.

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia already allow law enforcement to stop drivers for seat belt infractions alone. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics estimate the new law would save an estimated 124 lives every year in Florida, avoid 1,733 serious injuries and save $408 million a year.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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