Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Law Awareness Week begins Feb. 20 - ABC27

(WHTM) — PennDOT, state police officers and Penn State Health’s Life Lion Program are on a mission to promote safe driving. Leaders from each organization came together to highlight driver safety laws and remind people behind the wheel to protect themselves and others.

In the state, preliminary data shows deaths on the roadways in 2021 increase by as much as 10%. The full 2021 crash data is expected to be available to the public online by early June.

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Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Law Awareness runs the week of Feb. 20, but officials want people to remember these laws remain in place all year long.

“We can all do our part to prevent crashes on Pennsylvania’s roadways,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Robert Evanchick. “Please keep these important lifesaving laws in mind when you’re behind the wheel.”

This year’s week highlights safety laws, as outlined by PennDOT’s communication office, that impact crashes and fatalities each year:

• Distracted Driving: Pennsylvania’s Texting-While-Driving Ban prohibits as a primary offense any driver from using an Interactive Wireless Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion.
• Seat Belts: Pennsylvania law requires any occupant younger than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.
• Impaired Driving: Pennsylvania law prohibits individuals from driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. Penalties for driving while impaired depend on the individual’s level of impairment and prior offenses and can include up to $10,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, up to 18 months license suspension, one year of ignition interlock, and more. For more information on the penalties, check out Pennsylvania’s DUI Law.
• Speeding: Pennsylvania law on speed restrictions requires motorists to drive at reasonable and prudent speeds for the current conditions. Drivers must drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing intersections, railroad grade crossings, when approaching and going around a curve, while approaching a hill crest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, and when special hazards exist with respect to pedestrians, other traffic, or weather or highway conditions. This law is sometimes called the “assured clear distance” rule because it requires motorists to operate at a speed at which they can stop within an “assured clear distance.” Drivers may be ticketed for rear-ending another vehicle because they violated this law by not stopping within the following distance they allowed.
• Pennsylvania’s Young Driver Law: Pennsylvania licenses young drivers through a three-stage program, reflecting the driver’s gradual progression in skill, experience, and decision-making ability. The law has proven effective in reducing crashes and fatalities for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Whether by ground or air, our first responders across the health system and Life Lion EMS are always prepared to provide high-quality, timely care – but many of these accidents are preventable. We encourage drivers buckle up and stay alert because this is one statistic we would like to see decrease,” said Keith McMinn, director of Penn State Health Life Lion Services.

For more information on PennDOT’s highway safety efforts visit their website by clicking here.

source: https://www.abc27.com/news/traffic/pennsylvanias-highway-safety-law-awareness-week-begins-feb-20/

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