GUEST COLUMN: Eliminating Unnecessary Barriers For Teen Drivers

*This is an opinion column submitted by State Rep. Ron Bolton, R-Northport*

NORTHPORT, AL — As we work to create positive outcomes for our young people in Alabama, we still have some laws on the books that work against this goal.

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Section 16-28-40 of the Code of Alabama is one such law.

This applies to the suspension of drivers licenses of drivers under the age of 19 years for school non-attendance.

My personal experience as a former career law enforcement officer was that when youths have their driving privileges suspended for non-driving related matters it only leads to unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system and many times a path to avoidable negative outcomes.

Many a young officer (which I was at one time) have issued multiple traffic citations to drivers with suspended licenses. The reasons for these vary from suspensions for serious violations such as DUI and highway racing to multiple driving infraction point totals.

In 2024 alone, 536 traffic citations were issued in Alabama for school non-attendance suspensions.

Accumulated fines, downtime for court appearances, and potential vehicle towing fees can set young people back hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars and may take years for them to overcome.

While there are other reasons for drivers license suspension, such as non-payment of child support, failure to appear in court, etc. these items are designed to encourage compliance with court matters.

School attendance is already required under Alabama Code 16-28-3, which requires compulsory school attendance from ages 6-17 and holds parents responsible. However, the non-attendance provision in 16-28-40, specifically (a) through (d) punishes students below the age of 19 and puts a number of cumbersome rules on both educators and students for compliance.

While we as a society are working to create a future for our young people in which they can prosper and have a productive life, eliminating unnecessary barriers should also be a goal.

We as legislators have taken steps in recent years to keep students actively learning in a variety of environments, including expanded homeschool options and the Pathways program in career tech.

Maintaining punitive measures that affect a young persons ability to travel to and from a job is simply unnecessary.

State Rep. Ron Bolton has represented House District 61 since 2022. The views expressed in this op-ed are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Tuscaloosa Patch or our parent company. Have an opinion column you would like us to publish? Email us at Ryan.Phillips@patch.com for consideration with the subject line "op-ed submission."