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Governor Signs Bicycle Bill into Law
The legislation codifies the rules of the road so that police, motorists and bicyclists all understand their rights and responsibilities. “I’ve had a lot of close calls and a lot of misunderstandings,” says Joe Stafford, executive director of the statewide Bicycle Access Council. “We want to address those issues in the statutes, rather than just trying to do a little PR work.”
One high-profile provision directs motorist to give four feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road. “No one’s going to be out there with a tape measure, but as long as the motor vehicle driver is attempting to make good on approximately four feet, that will guarantee the margin of safety that bicyclists need,” Stafford explains.
HB 170 clarifies that motorists can cross a double yellow line to pass a bicyclist with the adequate berth – if it is safe to do so. Stafford uses the mattress tag analogy. “No one’s gone to jail for ripping those mattress tags off, and very few people are cited for crossing the double yellow line, unless they’re doing something else wrong.”
Additional language in the bill states that no turn by a driver shall interfere with a bicyclist who’s proceeding in a straight line. Stafford calls it a “right hook,” a term that describes a driver passing a bicycle just before cutting them off at an intersection or driveway.
The legislation passed the House with a vote of 197 – 1 back in May; it passed the Senate 45 – 5 in late January. Governor Tom Corbett signed it on Thursday.
(photo credit: www.pedbikeimages.org/ Elvert Barnes)
PennDOT Adds New Security Feature to Driver’s Licenses
It’s going to be harder to “fake” a Pennsylvania driver’s license. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has become the first in the nation to adopt a new security feature on the licenses it issues.
The new feature employs a hologram that appears to switch between white and black as the image is moved 90 degrees. It’s a higher resolution and PennDOT believes it will make it easier for police officers and people in the bar industry and banking to spot a fake driver’s license or ID.
Deputy Secretary Kurt Myers says the quality of fake IDs has grown rapidly. He says PennDOT believes strongly its important to add to the security features of its licenses to stay one step ahead of those who are attempting to commit fraud.
Jan McKnight, of PennDOT’s Safety Administration, says the new licenses are being phased in starting today. That means everyone getting a new photo taken for a license will now get the new security feature. While the new licenses will be issued as old ones are replaced on the normal four year cycle, McKnight says people can complete an application for change, correction or replacement of a noncommercial driver’s license on line and get one sooner.
PennDOT, Turnpike Unveil New Plow
Winter is almost here, and state transportation officials have a new weapon in the battle against snow and ice. New, 30-foot long tow plows can clear two, 12-foot wide highway lanes at once. “We plow it with the operator driving the truck into the passing lane, then checking for traffic and pulling a lever to steer the tow plow into the other lane,” says PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch.
The tow plows have been tested at 55 – 60-miles an hour and will only be used on multi-lane expressways. They can also help to reduce costs at PennDOT. “With one vehicle we can now do what two trucks were doing, which means that one of the other trucks can go out to one of the other roads and get it cleared more quickly,” Schoch explains. 12 tow plows will be in use statewide this winter; PennDOT will deploy eight of them and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will have four of its own.
About 40-times a year motorists will crash into one of PennDOT’s plows, and officials are using this opportunity to stress winter driving safety too. They say to keep at least six car lengths behind an operating snow plow and to never pass one. Failure to heed these warnings can get you caught in a truck’s blind spot, pummel your car with heavy flying snow or lead to an unwanted encounter with the plow itself, which is wider than the truck.
By pulling a lever, plow truck operators will be able to swing this tow plow into action. NEVER try to pass one of these on the right.
PennDOT Kicks Off Holiday Enforcement This Weekend
Thanksgiving is next week and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation kicks off the first of its holiday enforcement programs on November 18th. Click It or Ticket will run through December 4th. State and local police departments are partnering with PennDOT to step up traffic enforcement during the holidays.
“Operation Safe Holiday” will include crackdowns on speeding, aggressive driving and driving while impaired, as well as seatbelt enforcement. Erin Waters of PennDOT says the Thanksgiving Holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year. In 2010, there were more than 4,300 crashes in Pennsylvania over the period, including the weekends before and after Thanksgiving. She says 55 people were killed in those crashes.
PennDOT is reminding drivers to be well rested and alert before they hit the road and avoid distractions behind the wheel. They say drivers need to take regular breaks during long trips. That means getting out of the car every 100 miles and taking a 10 minute break.
PA Mulls Extending, Expanding Red Light Camera Program
21-states and the District of Columbia allow for some form of red light cameras. Pennsylvania can be counted among them, but the Automated Red Light Enforcement program is currently limited to Philadelphia, where the cameras are operating at 19-intersections.
Appearing before the House Transportation Committee, Monday, PennDOT testified to the program’s success. “We found that there was a 15 – 16% reduction in red light running crashes, overall, throughout the entire city,” says Deputy Secretary Scott Christie. He also testified to a 50% reduction in violations after 18-months.
AAA Mid-Atlantic supports Pennsylvania’s program because they say it is well-written. “Traffic enforcement, and especially automated means such as red light cameras, must be clearly focused on safety – not revenue generation – to earn AAA’s support,” says Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Ron Kosh.
The committee heard conflicting testimony on whether the implementation of red light cameras actually increases the instances of rear-end crashes at busy intersections. Regardless, Jim Walker with the National Motorists Association says there’s a better way to improve intersections safety: increasing the duration of yellow lights. “A 2003 Texas Transportation Institute Study concluded an increase of one-half to one and a half seconds of yellows, decreased red light violations by at least 50%,” says the association’s Jim Walker.
Legislation to expand the use of red light cameras to 19 additional cities has already passed the state Senate with a vote of 34 – 14. Under SB 595, fines would max out at $100, and the revenue would have to be used for traffic safety improvements. Philadelphia’s program is also on track to sunset at the end of the year, unless state lawmakers act to extend it.
Winter Storm Expected to Bring Measurable Snow to Pennsylvania
A winter storm warning covers the eastern two-thirds of Pennsylvania. The early season coastal snow storm could bring 4 to 8 inches or even more to some areas before ending Saturday night.
Meteorologist Bill Gartner of the National Weather Service in State College says the risk of power outages is increased because the leaves are still on many trees, and the added weight of the snow could cause limbs to break off and fall on power lines. Thousands of power outages were reported by utilities in the affected areas.
After the storm, temperatures will moderate, so it shouldn’t stick around long. But it could be one for the record books. Looking back at early season snows, State College recorded 4.7″ on October 15th, 2009. You have to go back to 1925 to find the early season snowfall records for south central Pennsylvania. A storm on October 30th, 1925 brought 5.4” of snow to Chambersburg, 2” to York, and 2.1” to Harrisburg.
PennDOT had already made its winter preparations before the snow was in the forecast. Spokesman Steve Chizmar says they’ve already plowed once this season, about a week ago in Centre County. He says they actually start preparing for the next winter as they wrap up the previous one. Last winter, they used about one million tons of salt and they already have over 600 tons stockpiled and more will be delivered through the season.
There will be a new snow removal method in parts of the state. Chizmar says they’ve tested tow plows in the last two years and they’ll be deploying about 10 of them this year. He says it’s like a giant plow that’s pulled behind a vehicle. He says when the plow is engaged; it swings out and plows snow in the lane next to the truck. He says they’re basically accomplishing the work of two plows with one.
Chizmar hopes drivers are ready for winter weather. He says when roads are slippery, people need to slow down, allow more distance between other vehicles and pay attention to the road. Motorists should check their tires for proper inflation and tread, make sure heaters and defrosters and windshield wipers are working properly and all belts, hoses, the battery and brakes are in good working order.
Chizmar says don’t forget to clear snow and ice from the vehicle before you drive. It’s not only a safety measure; it’s the law in Pennsylvania. If ice or snow falls from your vehicle and injures someone, you can be fined.
Motorists can check 511PA for road conditions before they go out on the highways.
School Bus Safety Is Everyone’s Job
This is School Bus Safety week. In addition to the school bus drivers, officials say students and other drivers play an important role in keeping kids safe going to and from school or school-sponsored activities.
Craig Yetter, community relations coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Safety Administration, says an important part of the safety routine is getting on or off the bus. He says the student should walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus, so that the bus driver can see them. He says they should be able to see the bus driver.
Yetter says students should make it a practice to arrive at the bus stop about 5 minutes early, so they don’t have to run across the road to catch the bus. He says they should never run after a bus if it has already left the bus stop. When waiting for the bus, line up at least five giant steps from the curb or road to keep away from traffic.
Yetter says when the bus is moving, students should stay in their seats, face forward, and never put their heads or arms out the window. They should speak quietly to avoid distracting the bus driver.
Other drivers need to slow down in school zones and when nearing bus stops, and obey the law to stop when the bus is picking up students or dropping them off. While 799 drivers were convicted last year of failing to stop for a school bus that had its flashing lights on, that was down from 865 the year before.
Yetter says even if the bus has its flashing lights on and stop arm extended, students still need to watch out for traffic.
Child Passenger Safety Week is Marked In Pennsylvania
It’s National Child Passenger Safety Week and state officials want to make sure your kids are buckled up properly. If you’re using a child safety seat, the chances are that it may not be properly installed. Safety checks in the past found as many as 8 out of 10 seats were not being used properly.
Erin Waters, a spokeswoman for PennDOT, says local and state police, as well as safety partners, are offering safety checks this week. You can find a list at pakidstravelsafe.org.
In 2010 in Pennsylvania, nine children ages newborn to 8 years were killed in vehicle crashes. More than two thousand children in that age group were injured.
Waters says safety checks in the past have found says that were not properly secured to the vehicle. She says children may not be in the appropriate seat for their height, age and weight, or the child may not be properly strapped into the seat.
Waters says if you can’t get to one of the scheduled safety checks, you should go to the web site drivesafepa.org and look at the child passenger safety page. She says you can also schedule a check appointment with your local state police barracks, or with the American Academy of Pediatrics Pennsylvania Chapter at 1-800-car-belt.
Waters says that Pennsylvania law requires children under age four to ride in a federally approved car seat that meets their age, height and weight requirements. Children between 4 and 8 must use a booster seat. PennDOT recommends that children up to age 12 ride in the back seat, regardless of whether they’re in a booster seat.
**Photo courtesy of pakidstravelsafe.org