Alabama lawmakers have given final approval to a bill requiring back seat passengers in vehicles to wear seat belts. Alabama’s seat belt law currently applies only to front seat passengers.
The House of Representatives approved the bill by Democratic Senator David Burkette of Montgomery, requiring all passengers to wear seat belts.
The bill says failure for a back seat passenger to wear a seat belt would be a secondary violation. That means a ticket could be written only if the vehicle is stopped for another reason.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 76-17. It had previously passed the Senate and goes to Governor Kay Ivey, who could sign the bill into law.
The bill is named after Roderic Deshaun Scott, who died in an accident on Interstate 65 between Montgomery and Birmingham in 2016. Scott was a student and standout basketball player at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery. Scott and two other teens were in the back of a vehicle not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle. Scott died from his injuries.
The bill is aimed to raise awareness and save lives.