Alabama Traffic Laws
- Like every other state, Alabama has a specific set of traffic laws. Learning the applicable rules of the road, and obeying them, is crucial to your safety and well-being. Failure to obey Alabama's driving laws can lead to dangerous conditions, hefty fines and, in severe cases, temporary loss of driving privileges.
- Alabama law enforcement officials have recently reinforced their efforts to increase awareness of Alabama Act 2009-577, also known as the Move Over Law, which requires that drivers yield to emergency vehicles.
If you're driving on a four-lane road and notice such an emergency vehicle, you must move over one lane, unless doing so poses a safety risk. In the event you cannot safely move over, you are required to slow your vehicle to a speed that's 15 miles below the posted speed limit.
If you're traveling on a two-lane road and notice such an emergency vehicle, you must move over as far as possible without actually leaving the lane. You must also slow your vehicle to at least 15 miles below the posted speed limit. If the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less, you must slow your automobile speed to 10 miles per hour. This law is designed to help emergency vehicles reach their destinations as quickly as possible. - Alabama requires drivers to carry valid liability insurance. The state also reserves the right to conduct random insurance verifications on active vehicle registrations. Those who have had a vehicle registration suspended within the last four years, due to failure to maintain proper insurance as well as those who have had their driving privileges suspended, are also subject to insurance verification at any time. Failure to maintain proper insurance can lead to suspension of vehicle registration, as well as driving privileges.
- When a motor vehicle accident occurs, drivers involved are legally obligated to stop, report the accident to the authorities and if necessary render appropriate assistance to any injured party. Failure to stop at the scene of an accident, especially one involving injury or death, is a serious criminal offense in Alabama. This can lead to revoked driving privileges, fines and even jail time, depending on the severity of the situation. Failure to stop at an accident where death or injury is involved is usually classified as a felony offense in Alabama.
If a driver strikes an unattended motor vehicle, he is expected to try to find the vehicle owner. If this is not possible, the driver who caused the motor vehicle accident is required to leave appropriate contact information.
