HB368 Alabama 2014 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Mike Ball
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2014
Title: Law enforcement officers, authorized to issue traffic citations at the scene of the crash for traffic offenses, under certain conditions, additional fines, Sec. 32-5-171 am'd.
Summary: HB368 would let police arrest drivers after a crash if there are reasonable grounds to think the driver was DUI, allow issuing citations after a crash based on investigation, and add a $50 fine per citation to fund highway safety.
What This Bill Does
The bill broadens arrest authority after a traffic accident to include cases where there are reasonable grounds to believe DUI occurred, even if the officer did not directly observe the DUI. It also authorizes officers to issue traffic citations after a crash when personal investigation shows the driver committed offenses. For each such citation, courts would impose an additional $50 fine, with the money going to the Highway Traffic Safety Fund for the Department of Public Safety.

Who It Affects
Drivers involved in traffic crashes: may be arrested or cited after the crash if officers have reasonable grounds to believe they committed offenses (including DUI), potentially facing an extra $50 fine per citation.
Law enforcement and public safety agencies: gain expanded authority to arrest or issue citations after crashes based on investigation, and must handle the additional $50 fines that fund the Highway Traffic Safety Fund.

Key Provisions
Amends Section 32-5-171(a) to allow a uniformed officer to arrest a driver at the scene or subsequent to a traffic accident if there are reasonable grounds to believe the driver contributed to the accident by violating DUI-related statutes.
Amends Section 32-5-171(b) to authorize an officer to issue a traffic citation to a driver after a crash when, based on personal investigation, there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe the driver committed offenses under Title 32 (various traffic offenses).
Section 1(c) requires a court to impose an additional fifty-dollar fine for each citation issued under the new subsection, with those fines transferred to the Highway Traffic Safety Fund for the Department of Public Safety to be used for law enforcement purposes.
Section 2 states the act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after its passage and approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Traffic Offenses