HB18 Summary

• Amends Section 32-5A-80 of Alabama Code to require commercial motor vehicles with three or more axles to travel in right lanes on interstate and U.S. highways under specific conditions.

• On four-lane highways (two lanes each direction), commercial vehicles with three or more axles must stay in the right lane unless passing, and cannot use the left-most lane to pass for more than one mile unless traffic prevents return to the right lane.

• On highways with three or more lanes in each direction, commercial vehicles with three or more axles are prohibited from traveling in the far left lane.

• Exceptions apply when traffic congestion, inclement weather, hazards, legal compliance, left turns, toll collection, or municipal operations make compliance impractical, and for emergency vehicles and highway maintenance vehicles.

• Law enforcement shall issue warning citations only for 60 days following the effective date; the act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and gubernatorial approval.