Florida's seatbelt violators are Racially Profiled

black motorists in florida are stopped and ticketed for seatbelt violations nearly twice as often as white residents statewide. in certain counties, blacks are stopped up to four times as often as whites, according to a new report from the american civil liberties union (aclu).

the study is based on data produced since the 2005 florida safety belt law was enacted. the aclu says black motorists tend to wear seatbelts less often than whites, yet this fact doesn't explain the large difference in racial disparity with seatbelt ticketing. 

additionally, black motorists' higher rate of stops and tickets expose them to a disproportionate financial burden - and risk of police force: unlike white motorists with similar citations. the alarming report was featured in the january 27 issue of the guardian. 

in response to these disturbing findings, the aclu is asking for an investigation by the florida attorney general's office of civil rights. the organization is also calling for the promotion of fair and bias-free policing, and for legislation to penalize agencies failing to collect and report data.