Safety Archives

Oct 28

SR-247 Little Bear Creek bridge to close for replacement

A bridge over a creek in the countryside.

The SR-247 bridge at Little Bear Creek near Red Bay in Franklin County will close for about a year for its $3.3 million replacement, starting Monday, Nov. 4.

SR-247 will be closed to all traffic in the vicinity of the bridge, about four miles north of SR-24. Commercial traffic must use the official detour, SR-24…

Oct 22

Take time to talk driving safety with teens

The poster emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in teen driving safety.

This is National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 20-26, 2024), and the Alabama Department of Transportation is encouraging parents to take the opportunity to have a conversation with teens about safe driving habits.

Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for 15-20-year-olds. In 2022, there were 80 fatal crashes in Alabama involving drivers ages…

Oct 15

ALDOT warns drivers to watch for deer this fall

A whitetail deer walking across a paved road

As the weather cools and the leaves begin to change colors, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) wants to remind motorists to be extra cautious on the roads. Fall means deer become more active, increasing the risk of vehicle collisions.

Whitetail deer hunting season kicks off in October, and one reason for increased vehicle collisions…

Oct 15

Construction begins on I-59 Trussville project

Aerial view of I-59 Interchange in Trussville, Al.

On October 17 at 10 a.m., the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) will begin a significant infrastructure project aimed at reconstructing and expanding a critical segment of I-59 in Jefferson County from the I-459 Interchange in Birmingham to Chalkville Mountain Road in Trussville, Alabama.

This extensive project begins at I-459 near Edwards Lake Road and…

Oct 03

UrKeys2Drv Summit empowers young drivers to make smarter choices

Since 2014, the UrKeys2Drv (Your Keys to Drive) Teen Driving Safety Summit has provided an interactive and impactful learning experience for young drivers across Alabama. This summit brings together hundreds of junior high and high school students from each region of Alabama for a day of learning, interacting and understanding the responsibilities of driving. The…

Sep 26

Rail safety is focus of See Tracks? Think Train Week

Illustration of railroad crossing with warning lights and cross bars moving.

Alabama has one of the nation’s highest numbers of rail crossing collisions, coming in at No. 8. To address this ongoing issue, the Alabama Department of Transportation is joining Operation Lifesaver for See Tracks? Think Train® Week, a concentrated week (Sept. 23-29, 2024) of rail safety education focusing attention on the importance of making safe…

Sep 25

Evacuation routes open as Hurricane Helene approaches

(Montgomery, Ala.) With evacuation orders issued in some Florida counties, highways across southern Alabama are open and available to move people to safer areas as Hurricane Helene moves toward landfall.

The Alabama Department of Transportation designates at least a dozen roadways coming north or west out of Florida as hurricane evacuation routes. You can view…

Sep 25

ALDOT adding safe alternatives for busy highways

Graphic stating Reduced Conflict Intersections with a drawing of a uturn route on a divided highway

Have you ever been stuck at a traffic light on a busy highway, wondering why it takes so long to get through? Traffic signals are important for safety, but sometimes, they can slow things down—especially when lots of cars are trying to go in different directions. That’s where Reduced Conflict Intersections (RCI) come in, a…

Sep 20

Child Passenger Safety Week September 15-21, 2024

A blue graphic with white text that reads "TAKE IT SLOW.” There are four icons below the text representing different types of car seats: a rear-facing infant car seat, a forward-facing toddler car seat, a booster seat without a backrest, and a booster seat with a backrest. The bottom of the graphic includes the URL NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat

Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 15-21.

According to NHTSA, 39% of children 14 and younger who died in 2022 in passenger vehicle accidents were unbuckled.

The safety agency wants caregivers to know that it’s never…

Sep 19

Roundabouts save lives

illustration of cars driving through a roundabout

If drivers think they are seeing more roundabouts along their routes in Alabama, they are correct. These circular intersections are proving to be safer and more efficient when it comes to moving traffic, even when compared to four-way stops and traffic signal intersections.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, roundabouts reduce overall crashes…