Legislation pending in the Alabama House would increase penalties for drivers who violate the state’s Move Over Act when emergency vehicles are present on roadways.
House Bill 315 by Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise, would create the “John Hubbard Move Over Act. Hubbard, a tow truck driver, died in 2016 while working at an accident site near the 74-mile marker of Interstate 20/59 in Tuscaloosa.
Marques said that this bill makes sure “tow truck drivers and people who are helping individuals on the side of the road with vehicles are protected.”
“Too many people die needlessly, already,” Marques told Alabama Daily News. “I hope this helps curve the occurrences.”
Current law says when an emergency vehicle using any visual signal is stopped on a roadway, drivers should move into a lane not adjacent to the emergency vehicle or, if that’s not possible, slow down to a reasonable speed for conditions.
“It increases the penalties and increases the fines for the violation,” Marques said about the bill.
Marques’ bill makes a first violation of the law a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $200. A second violation is a $250 fine. A third is a fine of $300 and suspension of driving privileges for at least 90 days.
Penalties are increased if the driver violates other laws, including driving under the influence or recklessly.
The legislation has passed the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and is expected to go to the full House on Tuesday, Marques told Alabama Daily News.
“We hope to get this signed into law as quickly as possible,” he said.
Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, is expected to carry the bill into the Senate.
“Public safety on Alabama highways is a priority of myself and members of my committees,” said Allen, chairman of the Transportation and Energy Committee.