MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — As the summer season reaches its peak, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) is releasing highway and marine patrol enforcement results from the Fourth of July travel period, which began at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, July 3, and concluded at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 6.
ALEA Troopers had one goal in mind while patrolling the states roadways and waterways over the Fourth Of July Holiday Weekend: to save lives through proactive enforcement and education.
Over the four-day period, seven boating accidents were investigated (occurring on Lake Martin, Smith Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Guntersville Lake, Lake Eufaula and Coden Bayou). No boating fatalities were reported.
Enforcement efforts resulted in the following:
- 749 Vessel Stops
- 223 Citations Issued
- 1,074 Warnings Issued
- 8 Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Arrests
According to ALEA, the most common violations were for Failing to Register/Properly Display Registration, Operating a Vessel Without a License, Insufficient Personal Flotation Devices, Improper Navigation Lights, Careless Operation and Failure to Use Emergency Cut-Off Switch.
During the weekend:
- 83 Warnings were issued to non-residents operating without required certification
- 77 Warnings were issued for violations of Alabama’s Proximity Law
- 5 Warnings were issued for Wake Sport Violations, specific to five Alabama lakes (ShoalCreek, Lake Martin, Lake Wedowee, Smith Lake and Weiss Lake)
During the holiday travel period, Troopers assigned to ALEA’s Highway Patrol Divisionresponded to 314 traffic crashes that resulted in 155 injuries and 12 fatalities. The fatal crashesoccurred in Dekalb, Mobile, Dale, Greene, Blount, Cleburne, Cullman and Montgomerycounties.
Additionally, enforcement efforts resulted in:
- 2,826 Speeding Citations Issued
- 394 Seat Belt Citations Issued
- 19 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Arrests
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the familiesand loved ones of those who lost their lives during the holiday weekend. Every life lost is atragic reminder of why our mission is critical. At ALEA, we are committed to doing everythingwithin our power to prevent such tragedies through education, enforcement and tirelessdedication to public safety on both the waterways and roadways, ” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor.
“While our Troopers are encouraged that there were no boating fatalities and that mostAlabamians celebrated responsibly, 12 lives lost on our roadways is 12 too many. The mission ofALEA remains the same—protecting life, property and the motoring public. As we movethrough the remainder of the summer travel season, we urge everyone to remain focused onsafety. Wear your seat belt, obey speed limits, never operate a vehicle or vessel under theinfluence and always remain aware of your surroundings,” said Colonel Jonathan Archer, Director of ALEA’s Department of Public Safety (DPS).
For more information on boating and highway safety, click here.
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