DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDNews) –
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) has released its enforcement results following the 2025 Fourth of July holiday travel period, which ran from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6.
With summer at its peak, ALEA deployed all available Troopers across Alabama’s roads and waterways in a concerted effort to protect lives and promote safety.
For boating enforcement, zero fatalities were reported but accidents are still a cause for concern. Troopers from ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division investigated seven boating accidents during the extended weekend, with incidents occurring on Lake Martin, Smith Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Guntersville Lake, Lake Eufaula and Coden Bayou.
Fortunately, no boating-related fatalities were reported. However, one non-boating drowning occurred on July 5 at Chickasabogue Creek in Mobile County.
During the four-day stretch, Marine Patrol conducted 749 vessel stops, issued 223 citations and gave out over 1,000 warnings. Eight individuals were arrested for Boating Under the Influence (BUI).
The most common violations included failure to register a vessel, operating without a license, missing life jackets, improper navigation lights, careless operation and not using an emergency engine cut-off switch.
Troopers also enforced Alabama’s newest boating safety laws, issuing:
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83 warnings to out-of-state boaters without proper certification,
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77 warnings for breaking the Proximity Law,
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5 warnings for wake sport violations on select lakes.
ALEA Troopers with the Highway Patrol Division responded to 314 crashes statewide, resulting in 155 injuries and 12 fatalities. The deadly crashes occurred in Dekalb, Mobile, Dale, Greene, Blount, Cleburne, Cullman, and Montgomery counties.
Enforcement activity over the weekend included:
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2,826 speeding citations,
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394 seat belt violations,
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19 DUI arrests.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor issued a statement offering condolences to families who lost loved ones over the holiday and reinforced the agency’s mission.
“Every life lost is a tragic reminder of why our mission is critical,” Taylor said. “We remain committed to prevention through education, enforcement, and tireless public safety efforts.”
Colonel Jonathan Archer, Director of ALEA’s Department of Public Safety added that 12 lives lost is too many.
“While it’s encouraging that there were no boating deaths, 12 lives lost on roadways is 12 too many,” Archer said. “ As summer continues, we urge everyone to stay alert, buckle up, and never operate a vehicle or boat under the influence.”
ALEA will continue conducting targeted safety operations and public education campaigns through the summer, especially on high-traffic weekends, to reduce crashes and save lives.
For boating and highway safety information, visit
ALEA.gov
.
