Title 32 — Title 32

This chapter may be cited as the Alabama Rules of the Road Act. History: (Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §15-103.)

(a) All fines and forfeitures collected upon conviction or upon forfeiture of bail of any person charged with a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter constituting a misdemeanor shall be, within 30 days after such fine or forfeiture is collected, distributed as provid…

This chapter shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of various jurisdictions. History: (Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §15-101.)

(a) When two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. (b) The right-of-way rule declared in subsection (a) is modified at thro…

The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an im…

(a) Preferential right-of-way at an intersection may be indicated by stop signs or yield signs as authorized in Section 32-5A-113. (b) Except when directed to proceed by a police officer every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, b…

The Department of Transportation with reference to state highways and local authorities with reference to highways under their jurisdictions may erect and maintain stop signs, yield signs, or other official traffic-control devices to designate through highways, or to designate in…

The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a roadway from any place other than another roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway to be entered or crossed. History: (Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §4-105.)

Emergency Vehicle Driver. (a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp and audible signal as is required by law, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position …

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any authorized vehicle or pedestrian actually engaged in work upon a highway within any highway construction or maintenance area indicated by official traffic-control devices. (b) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the …

This chapter shall not have a retroactive effect and shall not apply to any traffic accident, to any cause of action arising out of a traffic accident or judgment arising therefrom, or to any violation of the motor vehicle laws of this state, occurring prior to August 17, 1980. H…

The provisions of this chapter are cumulative and shall not be construed to repeal or supersede any laws not inconsistent herewith. Without limitation of the generality of the preceding sentence of this section, this chapter shall not repeal or supersede Sections 32-5-8, 32-5-9, …

The driver of a vehicle intending to turn shall do so as follows: (1) RIGHT TURNS. Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. (2) LEFT TURNS. The driver of a vehicle intending to turn le…

(a) The driver of any vehicle shall not turn such vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic. (b) No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve, or…

No person shall start a vehicle which is stopped, standing, or parked unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety. History: (Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §6-103.)

(a) No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided. (b) A signal of intention to turn right or left when required sha…

(a) Any stop or turn signal when required herein shall be given either by means of the hand and arm or by signal lamps, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b). (b) Any motor vehicle in use on a highway shall be equipped with, and the required signal shall be given by, sig…

All signals herein required given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner and such signals shall indicate as follows: (1) LEFT TURN. Hand and arm extended horizontally. (2) RIGHT TURN. Hand and arm extended upward. (3) STOP OR DECR…

(a) Outside a business or residence district no person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the roadway when it is practicable to stop, park, or so leave such vehicle off the roadway, but in every event an unobstructed width of the…

(a) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device, no person shall: (1) Stop, stand, or park a vehicle: a. On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the …

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a two-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within 18 inches of the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. (b) Except when otherwise provided by …

(a) Whenever any police officer finds a vehicle standing upon a highway in violation of any of the provisions of Section 32-5A-136 such officer is hereby authorized to move such vehicle, or require the driver or other person in charge of the vehicle to move the same, to a positio…

(a) Whenever any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of such vehicle shall stop within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of such railroad, and shall not proceed until…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the driver of any vehicle described in regulations issued pursuant to subsection (c), before crossing at grade any track or tracks of a railroad, shall stop such vehicle within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of su…

(a) No person shall operate or move any crawler-type tractor, steam shovel, derrick, roller, or any equipment or structure having a normal operating speed of 10 or less miles per hour or a vertical body or load clearance of less than one-half inch per foot of the distance between…

The driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, building, private road, or driveway within a business or residence district shall stop such vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk or onto the sidewalk area extending across such alley, building entrance, road, or driv…

(a) The driver of a vehicle upon meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus which has stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school children on a highway, on a roadway, on school property, or upon a private road or any church bus which has stopped…

(a) Every school bus shall, and every church bus may, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the fro…

No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. Consistent with the foregoing, every person shall drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and…

Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with Section 32-5A-170, the limits hereinafter specified or established as hereinafter authorized shall be maximum lawful speeds, and no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of the maximum l…

Whenever the Director of Public Safety and the Director of Transportation, with the approval of the Governor, shall determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that any maximum speed hereinbefore set forth is greater or less than is reasonable or safe und…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (f), whenever local authorities in their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the maximum speed permitted under this article is unreasonable under the conditions found to exist upon a…

(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law. (b) Whenever the Director of Public Safety and the Director of Transporta…

No person shall operate any motor-driven cycle at any time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise nor at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a…

(a) No person shall drive a vehicle over any bridge or other elevated structure constituting a part of a highway at a speed that is greater than the maximum speed that can be safely maintained on the bridge or structure, when the bridge or structure is signposted as provided in t…

(a) A person commits a construction zone moving violation if, while operating a motor vehicle, he or she commits any violation of Chapter 5 or this chapter under all of the following conditions: (1) The person is in a construction zone designated by the Department of Transportati…

Operating Measuring Device to Another Officer; Testimony Derived from Use of Speed Measuring Device. (a) In every charge of violation of any speed regulation in this article the complaint, also the summons or notice to appear, shall specify the speed at which the defendant is all…

(a) It is a violation of this section for any person to drive any vehicle on any public highway in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed reco…

This article shall be known as the County and Municipal Reduced Speed School Zone Act. History: (Act 2010-692, p. 1679, §1.)

For the purposes of this article, the following words have the following meanings: (1) REDUCED SPEED SCHOOL ZONE. A designated length of a road or highway extending between school zone speed limit signs with or without warning lights. (2) ROAD or HIGHWAY. Any road or highway exce…

A reduced speed school zone is established for every public or private school in the state, including schools along state- maintained roads or highways. (1) At an appropriate distance before reaching a reduced speed school zone, an appropriate sign or signs shall be erected warni…

(a) Signs on a reduced speed school zone located on a county-maintained road shall be placed and maintained by the county commission. (b) Signs on a reduced speed school zone located on a municipality-maintained road shall be placed and maintained by the municipality. (c) Signs o…

School zone speed limits shall be posted on the State Department of Transportation’s standard size speed limit signs and the times when the reduced speed limits are in effect. Law enforcement authorities shall enforce school zone speed limits. History: (Act 2010-692, p. 1679, §5.…

Upon conviction of a school zone speed violation, the operator of the motor vehicle shall be assessed a fine of double the amount prescribed by law outside a school zone. The signs, placed at the entrance of the school zone, shall warn of the doubled fines for speeding within a s…

The proceeds from any fines collected pursuant to this article payable to a county or municipality pursuant to state law shall be paid into the public road and bridge fund of the county or the treasury of the municipality in which the offense occurred. History: (Act 2010-692, p. …

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard for the rights or safety of persons or property, or without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or propert…

(a) A person who causes the death of another person while knowingly engaged in the violation of Title 32, Chapter 5A, excluding Section 32-5A-191, applying to the operation or use of a vehicle, as defined in Section 32-1-1.1, may be guilty of homicide by vehicle when the violatio…

(a) A person shall not drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle while: (1) There is 0.08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in his or her blood; (2) Under the influence of alcohol; (3) Under the influence of a controlled substance to a degree which renders him or h…

Influence. Repealed by Acts 1997, No. 97-556, p. 985, effective October 1, 1997. History: (Acts 1993, No. 93-323, p. 492, §1; Acts 1997, No. 97-556, §2.)

(a) Beginning October 1, 1994, moneys in the Alabama Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund shall be distributed to the Division of Rehabilitation Services in the State Department of Education for the following purposes: (1) As a payer of last resort for the costs of care provide…