MONTGOMERY – The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that will require all occupants of a vehicle to wear a seat belt.
SB 254, sponsored by State Sen. David Burkette (D-Montgomery) and State Rep. Chris Sells (R-Greenville), passed the House 76- 17 and now goes to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk. The legislation previously passed the Senate unanimously.
Current state law only mandates seat belt usage in the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat of a vehicle. SB 254 would extend the requirement throughout the vehicle.
The bill was named after Roderic Deshaun Scott, the Robert E. Lee High School basketball star from Montgomery who died after a car crash in 2016.
Sells was joined by State Rep. Kirk Hatcher (D-Montgomery) in urging final passage on the House floor.
“The Roderic Deshaun Scott Seat Belt Safety Act puts a human face on an issue that’s long overdue to be addressed,” Hatcher emphasized. “This is an important step in strengthening the safety culture in Alabama by requiring seat belt use by back seat passengers.”
“National data show us that seat belt use and compliance with seat belt laws may be the most effective safety measure we can take,” Sells added. “Now Alabama’s seat belt law will truly reflect the importance of seat belts in highway safety.”
If signed into law, Alabama will become the 29th state to require seat belt use by rear seat vehicle occupants. Yellowhammer State law since 2000 has required the use of seat belts by front seat vehicle occupants. State law had not previously addressed seat belt use in rear seats by occupants over the age of 15.
“It is my hope that voluntary compliance with this new law will save thousands of lives in the years to come,” Burkette said in a statement. “I am saddened that it took such a tragedy to serve as the impetus for passing this law, but honoring Roderic Scott is an appropriate way to preserve the memory of this special young man.”
Rear seat passengers in a vehicle are three times more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a seat belt, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SB 254’s passage was also met with praise from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).
“The Alabama Legislature is to be commended for amending Alabama’s seat belt law to include rear seat passengers,” ALDOT Government Relations Manager Tony Harris commented. “Sixty percent of the people dying on Alabama’s roadways are not wearing a seat belt, especially those riding in rear seats. Many crashes are survivable with the use of a seat belt.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
