Alabama’s New Road Rage Law
It’s now against the law for Alabama drivers to stay in the left lane for too long. As part of the Anti-Road Rage Act, passed by lawmakers during the last legislative session, vehicles cannot stay in the leftmost lane of the interstate for more than a mile and a half without passing another vehicle.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Phillip Pettus, who is a retired state trooper. While there are some exceptions to the new rules, drivers will be fined $200 if cited for the violation.
Exceptions to the law include: congestion that prevents the driver from driving in the right lane, bad weather and road hazards, exits or toll payments on the left, law enforcement and first responders who are on duty, and construction that forces traffic left.
According to some studies, as many as 80% of drivers feel angry when a driver in the left lane refuses to move over. The new law is designed to cut down on road rage incidents by requiring drivers to move over if they are not moving faster than the car in the right lane.
According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that examined police records nationally, there are more than 1,200 incidents of road rage on average reported per year in the United States. Many of these incidents have ended with serious injuries or even fatalities.
If you’ve been injured as a result of a road rage accident, or if you have any further questions regarding the Anti-Road Rage Act, feel free to come by our office anytime, or call us at 251-300-2000.
