New ‘anti-road-rage’ act takes effect with amendment from local lawmaker

Posted 9/20/19

At the start of September, several new driving laws went into effect across the state, including a new rule that governs driving in the left lane on highways and interstates.

While riding in the …

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New ‘anti-road-rage’ act takes effect with amendment from local lawmaker

Posted

At the start of September, several new driving laws went into effect across the state, including a new rule that governs driving in the left lane on highways and interstates.

While riding in the left lane has been against the law for years, the new legislation crafted by the Alabama legislature this year added new language that drivers can only stay in the left lane for 1.5 miles if they are not passing other drivers.

However, the original language for the bill caught the attention of Rep. Steve McMillan (R-Foley), who said he quickly saw a problem that could have emerged from the change.

“There was no exemption for if there was construction or some sort of obstruction in the right lane,” McMillan said. “We wouldn’t want to see people getting in trouble and breaking this new law simply by trying to avoid construction.”

McMillan worked with other lawmakers to get that exemption into the final version of the legislation with a friendly amendment.

“Thankfully, Alabama drivers won’t have to be worried about getting hit with a ticket now for avoiding obstructions in the right lane,” McMillan said.

Other exemptions to the new left lane law include: congestion, bad weather and road hazards, authorized vehicles like law enforcement and first responders, and exiting and tolling.

McMillan added that drivers are currently in a 60-day grace period while the law is first implemented, which means law enforcement is only allowed to issue warnings until Nov. 1.

Rep. Harry Shiver (R – Bay Minette) said he was also glad to see a grace period before the law was fully implemented.

“This gives folks time to get accustomed to the new law without fear of some sort of penalty,” Shiver said. “We’re hoping they’ll take the time to learn the new rules of the road and make sure we keep those left lanes open for passing only.”