ALEA Releases 2025 Fourth of July Holiday Traffic and Boating Enforcement Results

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — As the summer season reaches its peak, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) released 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 ended 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 (Shoal
  Creek, Lake Martin, Lake Wedowee, Smith Lake and Weiss Lake)

During the holiday travel period, Troopers assigned to ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division
responded to 314 traffic crashes that resulted in 155 injuries and 12 fatalities. The fatal crashes
occurred in Dekalb, Mobile, Dale, Greene, Blount, Cleburne, Cullman and Montgomery
counties.

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 families
and loved ones of those who lost their lives during the holiday weekend. Every life lost is a
tragic reminder of why our mission is critical. At ALEA, we are committed to doing everything
within our power to prevent such tragedies through education, enforcement and tireless
dedication 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 most
Alabamians celebrated responsibly, 12 lives lost on our roadways is 12 too many. The mission of
ALEA remains the same—protecting life, property and the motoring public. As we move
through the remainder of the summer travel season, we urge everyone to remain focused on
safety. Wear your seat belt, obey speed limits, never operate a vehicle or vessel under the
influence 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.