The ability to drive, being granted a driver’s license, is a privilege. Recent questions about how that privilege is being handled by state law and local individuals have arisen and are being looked into by one Shelby County lawmaker.

And that’s great. However, we contend that had those affected, namely one Shelby County teenager, not gone to another state and broken the law, she would not be in this position.

Due to a flaw in the code and the way it is handled by the Alabama Department of Public Safety, she will not face all of the consequences of breaking Georgia law.

She should lose her right to drive for six months, because she went to their state and callously broke their law.

However, she will not.

Our state’s recognition of the laws of other states is absolutely necessary. We hope this flaw in the code will be handled and then we can move on to more important matters.

We certainly need to make sure our teenagers know, however, that if you go out of the state of Alabama and you break the laws of another state, you are subject to the consequences as determined by that state.

They must understand that if they

don’t want to suffer those consequences, don’t go and break their laws.