DRIVERS have been warned to watch out for incoming traffic laws that threaten violators with $3,000 fines.
As the school year approaches, drivers should prepare for the rules of the road to change overnight.
Drivers should prepare for school zones to return soon[/caption]
That’s because school zones are once again going to be enforced, and when they’re active, drivers shouldn’t break 15 mph.
Plus, bus stops will ramp up again, so drivers should know how to act whenever they’re caught in the middle of a school commute.
Generally, drivers should come to a stop and stay put until the school bus puts away its flashing stop sign and starts moving again.
However, in Alabama, there’s a single exception to this rule.
If you’re on a road divided into four or more lanes with a median and you aren’t behind the bus, then you can keep driving.
Drivers should stop on nearly every other street.
Those include two-lane roads, four-lane roads without a median, roads with a center turning lane, and two-lane roads with a turning lane in the center, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Keeping an eye on the changing rules is especially important for drivers in Alabama, where fines can balloon to obscene numbers for repeat offenders.
The first time a driver is caught not stopping for a school bus in the state, they could be hit with a fine of $150 to $300.
A second offense could lead to an even higher ticket, community service time, and a license suspension.
Anyone who fails to stop for a third time should expect to shell out $500 to $1,000, serve more community service, and face longer license suspensions.
Violating the law for a fourth time is considered a Class C felony, which is punishable by up to $3,000 and a one-year license suspension.
When school is in session, little kids could dart out in the middle of the road at any moment, making the ability to stop on a dime essential.
That’s why the 15 mph is in effect during school hours and while students are still using crosswalks.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
- Daylighting law prohibiting drivers from parking their cars within 20 feet of any crosswalk in California
- Stricter street racing penalties in California
- Changes to car seat age and weight requirements in Colorado
- Fines for failing to follow designated enter and exit areas for express lanes in Colorado
- Bans on handheld devices while driving in Colorado and Missouri
- Drivers allowed to have a digital copy of their license on their cell phones in Illinois
- Yield right of way to emergency vehicles in Illinois
- Drivers required to take a vision test to renew licenses in Kentucky
- School bus safety law in Oregon
- Vehicle safety inspections scrapped in Texas
The exact fine that drivers will have to pay varies by county.
In Mobile County, anyone caught zooming at 25 mph or under will be slapped with a $189 ticket. If you break 25 mph, you should expect to pay $209.
Meanwhile, in Huntsville County, those driving between 15 and 25 mph will be charged $179, and anyone speeding over 25 mph will be charged $199.
The school year crackdown comes as drivers face $250 fines if they’re in the wrong lane under a new July 18 law.
Plus, millions of drivers now face automatic $50 fines under a different new law, and cameras are searching for violators.
And another batch of drivers should make sure not to break the new passing law.
