As motorists plan to travel Alabama highways for the Fourth of July holiday, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Road Builders Association are making them aware of changes to a state law to protect the lives of road construction and maintenance workers.

EFFECTIVE, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021, the fine for any moving traffic violation committed in a construction zone where workers are present will result in a $250 fine or double the regular fine, whichever amount is greater.

The Alabama Legislature amended the construction zone law this year, as the number of injury and fatal crashes in work zones increased in 2020. Preliminary numbers for 2020, show there were 2,378 work zone crashes in Alabama, resulting in 19 fatalities and 616 injuries. These numbers include road workers and motorists.

With the change to the construction zone law, fines are increased for not only speeding, but for any traffic law broken while driving through the work zone when workers are present. Those violations include driving under the influence, hit and run, following the vehicle ahead too closely, changing lanes without signaling and driving around barricades, among other violations.