Rod Scott's father speaks about proposed seat belt bill, son's legacy

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - March 4 will mark the one-year anniversary of Roderic Deshaun Scott's death. Scott died after he, along with two other passengers, were ejected from the vehicle they were in during a car accident.

Scott's father, Rodney Scott, who is the assistant basketball coach at Robert E. Lee High School, where Roderic "Rod" Scott was a star athlete, said he was contacted by members of the legislature shortly after his son's death. He said he was asked if he would be okay with having a piece of proposed seat belt safety legislation named after his son.

"I thought it was a good idea, and his mom thought it was a good idea since he was a well-known guy here," Scott said.

Senate Minority Leader Quinton Ross said he introduced the Roderic Deshaun Scott Seat Belt Safety Act during the first week of the legislative session.

Last week, it passed the Alabama Senate. Ross said it just needs to pass through the Alabama House. Then, he said it will be presented to Governor Robert Bentley for his signature, who Ross said is "poised and ready to sign this bill into law."

The bill, if passed into law, would require all passengers in an operating vehicle to wear a seatbelt. The current law requires front seat passengers to wear safety belts.

Ross said he is optimistic that the bill will pass because of its potential impact.

"Representative Mike Holmes is carrying it in the House of Representatives and, of course, he understands the significance it plays in the role of helping save lives," Ross said.

Scott said he believes it's something his son would have wanted.

"He's more of a leader than a follower," Scott said. "It's a good thing to put his name on. He was that type of person. His quote was, 'I will be something great. I will do something great.'"

Scott said he and his family are preparing to do a number of community events in the coming months to honor Rod's life and continue his legacy.

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