Starting Sunday September 1st – everyone inside a vehicle in the state of Alabama will have to buckle up – that includes those in the back seat.

The current law only applies to minors in the back seat and passengers in the front seat.  The new law declares not wearing a seat belt in the backseat will be considered a secondary violation – meaning a ticket can only be written for the offense if that vehicle is pulled over for a separate offense. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that in 2017, 47% of the 37,000 people killed in car crashes weren’t wearing their seat belts.   According to the organization the national rate for seatbelt use in 2018 was 89.6%. 

The bill was passed through the Legislature in May of this year, with the effort spearheaded by Senator David Burkette of Montgomery.  It was passed by the Alabama House of Representatives by a vote of 76 to 17.

(Southern Torch/www.southerntorch.com)