The grace period for two laws passed this year by the Alabama Legislature will expire next week, meaning drivers who aren’t in compliance could face fines.

The anti-road rage law and another law requiring all persons in a vehicle to be buckled up went into effect Sept. 1, but law enforcement gave drivers a two-month grace period to get used to the laws. Only warnings have been issued up to now, but tickets will be given starting next Friday.

Seat belt law

Under the law, seat belt violations are considered a secondary violation, meaning a vehicle would have to be pulled over for something else before a ticket for not wearing a seat belt would be issued. Exemptions to the law include children in booster seats, people with notes from licensed physicians, mail and newspaper carriers, and passengers in cars made prior to 1965.

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson previously said the new law raised awareness of the importance of wearing seat belts and public safety.

“Anything we can try to do to save lives, the better off we are,”he said.

Anti-road rage law

The law, which also went into effect Sept. 1, requires interstate drivers to use the left lane for passing only. Those who stay in the left lane for a mile and a half without passing other vehicles risk being cited.

Alabama is now one of 38 states that has a bill targeting left-lane drivers. In five of those states, fines can reach $1,000.

“If drivers follow the law and keep the left lane open for passing, we expect traffic flow to improve on interstates around Alabama,” said Seth Burkett, spokesman with the Alabama Department of Transportation. “Keeping the left lane open also allows first responders to reach emergencies faster and safely.”