CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

House Bill 0447

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 447 By Representatives Lippman and Jones 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Florida Safety Belt Law; 3 amending s. 316.614, F.S.; deleting obsolete 4 language; providing an exception to safety belt 5 use; eliminating a provision which requires 6 enforcement of the act only as a secondary 7 action; providing an effective date. 8 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10 11 Section 1. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (6), 12 and subsections (7), (9), and (10) of section 316.614, Florida 13 Statutes, are amended to read: 14 316.614 Safety belt usage.-- 15 (4) It is unlawful for any person: 16 (a) To operate a motor vehicle in this state unless 17 each front seat passenger of the vehicle under the age of 16 18 years is restrained by a safety belt or by a child restraint 19 device pursuant to s. 316.613, if applicable; or 20 (b) To operate a motor vehicle in this state unless 21 the person is restrained by a safety belt. 22 (5) It is unlawful for any person 16 years of age or 23 older to be a passenger in the front seat of a motor vehicle 24 unless such person is restrained by a safety belt when the 25 vehicle is in motion. 26 (6) 27 (c) An employee of a solid waste or recyclable 28 collection service is not required to be restrained by a 29 safety belt while in the course of employment collecting solid 30 waste or recyclables on designated routes. 31 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 447 94-227B-97 1 (7) After January 1, 1987, Any person who violates 2 subsection (4) or subsection (5) shall be subject to the 3 penalties provided in s. 318.18 fined $20, including court 4 costs, for each separate offense. 5 (9) Enforcement of this section by state or local law 6 enforcement agencies shall be accomplished only as a secondary 7 action when a driver of a motor vehicle has been detained for 8 a suspected violation of another section of this chapter, 9 chapter 320, or chapter 322. 10 (9)(10) A violation of the provisions of this section 11 shall not constitute negligence per se, nor shall such 12 violation be used as prima facie evidence of negligence or be 13 considered in mitigation of damages, but such violation may be 14 considered as evidence of comparative negligence, in any civil 15 action. 16 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 1997. 17 18 ***************************************** 19 HOUSE SUMMARY 20 Provides that an employee of a solid waste or recyclable 21 collection service is not required to be restrained by a safety belt while in the course of employment collecting 22 solid waste or recyclables on designated routes. Eliminates a provision in the Florida Safety Belt Law 23 which requires enforcement of the law only as a secondary action. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2