SB293 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

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

This bill lets police arrest a driver after a traffic crash if they have reasonable grounds to believe DUI, allows citations after a crash based on the officer's investigation, and adds a $50 fine per citation to fund highway safety efforts.

What This Bill Does

It expands police authority to arrest drivers after a traffic accident if there are reasonable grounds to believe they violated DUI laws. It also allows officers to issue traffic citations to drivers involved in accidents after personal investigation shows reasonable grounds to believe a violation occurred. Each citation would carry 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 accidents may be arrested after the crash if there are reasonable grounds to believe they violated DUI laws or other traffic offenses.
• Law enforcement agencies and the Department of Public Safety, which would gain authority to issue post-accident citations and would receive the additional $50 fines collected to fund highway safety efforts.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 32-5-171 to allow a law enforcement officer to arrest a driver after a traffic accident if, based on personal investigation, there are reasonable grounds to believe the driver violated the law contributing to the accident.
• Allows an officer to issue a traffic citation to a driver involved in a traffic accident after personal investigation shows reasonable and probable grounds to believe the person committed any offense under this title.
• Imposes an additional fine of $50 for each citation issued under the new provision, with the fines transferred to the Highway Traffic Safety Fund for the Department of Public Safety to use for law-enforcement purposes.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after 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