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Florida troopers raise awareness on seatbelt safety ahead of Memorial Day weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA says the Memorial Day holiday weekend will bring record levels of travel to Florida.

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Nearly 2.4 million Floridians plan to travel at least 50 miles for the holiday weekend.

With all those people on the roads, law enforcement agencies are encouraging drivers to travel safely and that starts as soon as you get in your vehicle.

Watch: Volusia County sets up special event zones for Memorial Day weekend

“Unfortunately, we see a lot more fatalities when people aren’t belted in,” said Trooper Migdalisis Garcia with Florida Highway Patrol.

Just last weekend, troopers worked a crash in Volusia County where a driver and passenger were both thrown from their pickup truck.

Watch: DOT prepares for busy Memorial Day holiday: ‘This weekend will be a test of the system’

The driver died and the passenger was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Neither were buckled up.

“This is something that could have been completely different for both young people involved and the families as well,” Garcia said.

Read: AAA: Florida gas prices decrease as millions prepare to road trip for Memorial Day

A seatbelt violation in Florida will lead to penalties and fines ranging from $30 to $114.

See more in the video above.

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