TALLAHASSEE, FL - As of today, Florida State Troopers will be issuing tickets when they catch you driving with your seat belt unbuckled, so don’t expect a warning.

The Florida Highway Patrol plans to strictly enforce the amended law that now makes seat belt violations a primary offense.

Police have been able to ticket unbelted motorists since 1986 but only if stopping them for another traffic violation such as speeding.

Now, simply observing you without your seatbelt buckled is enough for law enforcement to pull you over and issue a citation.

State Troopers will be passing out informational flyers to motorists on the road at their public offices to get the word out about the changed law.

“We’ve always had a zero tolerance policy for some time and we’re gonna continue with that,” said Highway Patrol Lt. Chris Miller. “If we do stop you, you can expect a ticket. We won’t be giving any warnings.”

Motorists can be ticketed if either they or their front seat passengers fail to buckle up. All passengers under 18 also are required to wear seat belts regardless of where they are sitting.

The penalty is a $30 fine plus administrative and court costs. Hillsborough County for example reports the amount of the citation will actually be $101.00 per violation.

The National Highway Safety Administration has estimated the new law will save 124 lives and prevent 1,733 serious injuries in Florida every year. According to the Click It Or Ticket Florida campaign, 1 in 5 Floridians who did not buckle up accounted for 3 in 5 traffic fatalities in 2007. In other words, 60% of all fatalities consisted of the 20% of those that did not buckle up. The campaign did not offer statistics showing what percentage of those who do not buckle up are also prone to careless and dangerous driving however, so using their statistics may not actually draw a clear picture as to the extent that buckling up can save lives.

Most state laws around the country go into effect on July 1, the first day of the new budget year, or on Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year for the federal government and many cities and counties. In Florida however, the seat belt law is going into effect today to meet a federal grant deadline. As a result, Florida will qualify for up to $35 million in federal highway safety money which is reported to go towards road improvement projects across the state.

Congress in 2005 offered the grants as an incentive for states to adopt primary enforcement laws. To qualify, a state must enact such a law by June 30, 2009, and begin issuing citations by September 30, 2009 which means one should expect plenty of early enforcement.

Florida is one of 30 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and four other U.S. territories that have passed primary enforcement laws, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The New or Amended Florida Statute is known as the Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law in memory of two young women killed in accidents while not wearing their seat belts. It removes the exemption to the statute for pickup truck drivers, and also deletes the provision that enforcement could only occur as a secondary action making it possible to be pulled over and ticketed by law enforcement for a selt belt violation alone.

Some opponents argued police would be prone to singling out racial and ethnic minorities for tickets however it seems a more solid opposition may arrise from the possible infringing of an individual’s liberties.

Dr. Walter E. Williams of George Mason University writes, “The point is whether government has a right to coerce us into taking care of ourselves. If eating what we wish is our business and not that of government, then why should we accept government’s coercing us to wear seat belts?”

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The latter philosophy is the crutch behind the repeal in 2000 of a similar requirement for adult motorcyclists to wear helmets.

Please remember to buckle up and pass this information on to your friends and families.