If a law enforcement officer finds a front-seat passenger 18 years of age or older not wearing a safety belt, who is charged with the violation?

The front-seat passenger, who is 18 years of age or older and not wearing a safety belt, is directly responsible for their own compliance with safety belt laws. Under Florida law, once an individual reaches the age of 18, they are legally obligated to wear a seatbelt and can be cited for not doing so. This places the responsibility of the violation on the passenger themselves, rather than the driver or other occupants of the vehicle.

In contrast, the driver is generally responsible for ensuring all passengers under the age of 18 are properly buckled, but that does not extend to adults. Rear-seat passengers are not typically subject to primary enforcement of seatbelt violations, and the vehicle owner is not held accountable for the actions of the passengers regarding their safety belt use. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the individual responsibility that adults have for their own safety in a moving vehicle.