Traffic Laws: Speed, Stopping, School Buses, Right-of-Way, Passing, Pedestrians, Backing, Loads, Traffic Stops, Insurance, Tint and the Move-Over Law: the Basic Speed Law and Statutory Limits From 30 to 70, Minimum Speeds, Every Required Stop, Turning on Red, Amber Lights at 300 and 100 Feet and Stopping 20 Feet From a Bus, Who Yields, White Canes, Passing on Two-Lane Roads and the 500-Foot Rule, Passing on the Right, Pedestrian Duties, 500 Feet Behind Fire Trucks, Backing Rules, Hand Signals, Loads and the Five-Foot Limit, What to Do When Police Stop You, the $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 Minimums, Tint Limits and Moving Over or Slowing 15 mph

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Alabama driver license knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: Alabama Driver Manual (ALEA, November 2024 edition), Chapter 6 "Traffic Laws" (pages 59–68).

Speed

Traffic laws exist for everyone's protection and change from time to time, so study the manual every few years. Speed is seldom the sole cause of a crash but often turns a minor mishap fatal; its greatest danger is severity rather than frequency. Alabama's basic speed law forbids any speed faster than is reasonable under existing road, weather, vehicle and personal conditions, and what is reasonable at one time may not be at another. Posted limits are maximums for normal conditions, exceeding them is prima facie evidence of an unlawful speed, and all municipal limits are maximums. Unless another zone is posted, the statutory limits are 30 mph in an urban district, 35 mph on an unpaved road, 45 mph on a county paved road, 55 mph elsewhere, 65 mph where posted and 70 mph where posted on an interstate. Where a minimum is posted, any lower speed is unlawful in normal conditions, and you must never drive so slowly that you interfere with traffic moving at normal safe speeds, which causes many crashes. Slow down when approaching or crossing a street, highway or railroad crossing, near flags, flares or fuses, and at crests of hills and curves.

Required stops

A complete stop is required at a stop sign, at the marked stop line, or before the crosswalk on the near side if there is no line, or if there is no crosswalk at the nearest point with a clear view of approaching traffic, stopping a second time if the first view was blocked; when coming from an alley, private driveway or building in a business or residence district, always before crossing the sidewalk or crosswalk; when a school patrol member holds a flag in the stop position; at a red light, waiting for green and a clear way, though you may turn right on red after stopping from the proper lane, and left on red after stopping from a one-way street onto a one-way street with traffic moving right to left, in both cases yielding to traffic and pedestrians and never where a sign prohibits the turn, and treating an inoperative signal as a four-way stop; at a railroad crossing with a stop sign; at a flashing red signal, which equals a stop sign; when a flagger or device directs you at a crossing; at a bridge opening for boats; when a construction flagger or a police officer orders it; after a crash, proceeding only as the law requires; when an emergency vehicle approaches from either direction with flashing red or blue lights and a siren, pulling to the curb or side and stopping completely; at a yield sign when pedestrians or vehicles are crossing; and when following or meeting a school or church bus stopped with its stop arm out and red lights flashing, staying stopped until the arm retracts and the lights go off, including on a four- to six-lane undivided highway. No stop is required on a divided highway of four or more lanes with at least two lanes in each direction when the bus is stopped on the opposite roadway, or when the bus is in a loading zone beside the highway where pedestrians may not cross.

School buses

Many buses flash amber lights well before stopping as a pre-warning that they are about to load or unload, at least 300 feet before the stop in rural areas and at least 100 feet in municipalities; flashing red lights and the extended stop arm mean the bus is stopped to load or unload. Coming from either direction you must stop, at least 20 feet from the bus. Most children hurt or killed in pupil transportation are struck outside the bus by motorists who fail to stop for the red lights and stop arm, the area the manual calls the death zone.

Right-of-way

Right-of-way rules rest on courtesy and common sense, and violating them is a main cause of crashes. When two vehicles enter an uncontrolled intersection from different roads at about the same time, the driver on the left yields to the one on the right, and entering at an unlawful speed forfeits any right-of-way. Yield to emergency vehicles showing a flashing red or blue light and sounding a siren or bell, whether overtaking or meeting you, by pulling to the side and stopping, clearing an intersection first and waiting until they have passed. Stop and give way at any intersection to a blind person carrying a white cane tipped with red held with the arm extended or using a guide dog. Vehicles entering from a private road or driveway stop and yield to traffic on the public road. At a yield sign, slow and stop if necessary for vehicles and pedestrians legally crossing. Turning left within an intersection or into an alley, driveway or private road, yield to any oncoming vehicle in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. Vehicles entering on a green arrow yield to traffic lawfully using the intersection.

Passing

Many deaths on two-lane highways come from head-on and sideswipe collisions caused by improper passing, almost always a violation; most such highways are marked with solid yellow stripes and signs where passing is hazardous, and extra caution is needed in darkness, poor visibility and on slippery surfaces. On a two-lane road you may pass on the left if you can complete the pass safely without exceeding the limit: check the road ahead for distance and the road behind for anyone about to pass you, warn the driver ahead with a tap of the horn or a flick of the lights at night, signal left before passing and right before returning, and do not return until you can see the entire front of the passed vehicle in your interior mirror; when someone is passing you, stay in your lane and do not speed up. Passing on the right is permitted on one-way roads and on roads marked for two or more lanes in the same direction, never on the shoulder except in an emergency or when directed by traffic authorities; check ahead and behind, signal, and remember a signal alone gives no right to pass, that the driver being passed may not expect it, and that some states forbid it. You may not cross the center line to pass on a curve or hill without a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet, at a highway intersection, when meeting an oncoming vehicle, or where signs prohibit it or a solid yellow line is on your side, and double solid yellow bars both directions.

Pedestrians and emergency vehicles

Pedestrian deaths would fall if drivers watched more closely on streets with parked cars, in darkness and poor visibility, near schools and play areas, and around churches, mailboxes and bus stops. Drivers must stop for school children and safety patrols directing movement, yield to blind pedestrians with canes or guide dogs, not block crosswalks at a stop sign or red light, and stop for a school bus with its stop arm out. Pedestrians must yield to all vehicles when crossing anywhere other than a crosswalk, and should walk as far left as possible in single file, carry a light and wear light or reflective clothing in the dark, remember that slick roads and poor visibility slow a driver's stop, and make eye contact before stepping out. Only vehicles on official business may follow within 500 feet of an emergency vehicle on a run, and never drive over an unprotected fire hose without a police or fire official's permission.

Backing, shoulders, windows and lane changes

Backing causes many crashes; walk around the vehicle first, look front, sides and rear, keep looking over your right shoulder while backing rather than trusting the mirror, and back slowly into the proper lane with minimum movement, the same when leaving angle parking. Backing is prohibited on freeways and expressways except for emergency vehicles on duty, backing on a public street is never advisable except into a parking place, and backing out of a driveway you back into the nearest lane and never across other lanes. Driving on the shoulder is unlawful except in an emergency, and it is never lawful to pass on the shoulder except in an emergency. Signs, posters or other materials that obstruct a window are prohibited. Never change lanes until you are sure of clearance to the side, ahead and behind, glancing over your shoulder at the blind spot the mirror misses; signal with turn signals or hand signals, keep signaling until the move, and remember a signal does not grant the right to change lanes. Hand signals: arm extended downward for stop or slowing, straight out for a left turn, upward for a right turn. Improper turns cause many crashes, often with a pedestrian as the victim.

Loads

It is unlawful to drive a vehicle so loaded, or with more than three people in the front seat, that the driver's view ahead and to the sides or control is obstructed. A load may not extend more than 5 feet beyond the front and rear together; a load projecting 4 feet or more behind needs a red flag at least 12 inches square by day and a red light visible 200 feet at night; on passenger vehicles a load may not extend beyond the line of the fenders.

Traffic stops

Officers stop drivers for violations and investigations. When you see the lights, stay calm, signal and pull to the side as soon as it is safe; turn off the ignition and radio; stay inside unless told to get out; keep both hands on the wheel; ask passengers to stay calm and inside with hands in view; put down phones and devices; give the officer full attention; report any weapons at first contact; make no sudden moves and do not search for documents until told; and at night turn on the interior lights. The officer will identify themselves, showing credentials if out of uniform (or you may ask), and may ask for your license, proof of insurance and registration; tell the officer before reaching for documents out of reach. Expect basic questions about your trip, ask respectfully for clarification, and contest a citation in court rather than arguing; signing a citation is not an admission of guilt, but refusing it can mean arrest. Report improper conduct to the officer's agency promptly with the time, date and place. The documents required at a stop are your driver license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration.

Insurance, tint and the Move-Over law

The Mandatory Liability Insurance law bars operating, registering or keeping registration on a vehicle without liability insurance from an insurer licensed in Alabama of at least $25,000 for death or injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more, and $25,000 for property damage; a violation can cost up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for a later one, and/or a six-month suspension. Only the upper 6 inches of the windshield may carry transparent tint; on cars all side and rear windows must pass at least 32 percent of light; on SUVs, trucks, vans and RVs the front side windows meet the 32 percent rule and windows behind the driver may be darker. Under the Move-Over law, approaching an emergency vehicle stopped with flashing lights or a wrecker with flashing amber lights on a road of four or more lanes, you must vacate the lane nearest it, or if that is unsafe or impossible slow to at least 15 mph below the posted limit; on a two-lane road, move as far from the vehicle as possible within your lane and slow to 15 mph below the limit where the limit is 25 mph or more, or to 10 mph where the limit is 20 mph or less.

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