MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A big change could be coming to seat belt laws in Alabama.
SB254, also known as The Roderic Deshaun Scott Seat Belt Safety Act, would require everyone in a vehicle to wear a seat belt.
The way state law is currently written, only those in the front seat are required to wear seat belts.
For purposes of enforcing the act, seat belt violations would be considered secondary violations, meaning a vehicle would need to be pulled over for something else before tickets could be issued for failure to wear a seat belt.
Children in booster seats, those with notes from physicians, mail and newspaper delivery people, those driving cars from 1965 and earlier, and those in cars which operate in reverse would be exempt from requirements.
The Alabama state legislature passed the bill Thursday, sending it to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk.