Volvo had the first safety belts in 1849. The first U.S. patent for automobile seat beats was issued to Edward J. Claghorn of New York, New York on February 10, 1885. Claghorn was granted United States Patent #312,085 for a Safety-Belt for tourists, described in the patent as "designed to be applied to the person, and provided with hooks and other attachments for securing the person to a fixed object."

According to 2008 data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 2,983 individuals were killed in car accident related crashes. Of these traffic deaths, 1,795 individuals were either drivers or passengers in safety belt equipped vehicles. Sixty percent (1,085) of these people killed were not wearing a safety belt.

In addition in 2008, sixty-eight percent (54 of 79) of the children ages 0 to 17 years old killed in traffic crashes were not using safety equipment.

Those that support seat belt use will refer to research showing that lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent. For light-truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent. Safety belts are 80-percent effective in reducing fatalities in light trucks (including sport utility vehicles) during rollover crashes. They also help prevent individuals from being totally ejected during a crash, thus reducing the risk of a fatal injury.

Under Florida Seat Belt law, failure to use a seat belt is now a primary enforcement law, which means drivers can simply be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. If ticketed, the driver will be faced with a $110.00 ticket. The penalty for violating the Child Restraint Law is a $160.00.

Florida seat belt laws apply to all cars, pickup trucks, and vans operated on Florida roads. All passengers in the front seat must wear a seat belt. All passengers under 18 (whether in front seat or back seat) must wear a seat belt.