Pennsylvania Motorists and Bicyclists Reminded to Share the Road

Pennsylvania’s bike safety law was passed in April in an effort to reduce injuries and save lives of Pennsylvania bicyclists.  With colleges and universities back in session throughout the state, many students take to the road on their bikes to get to and from classes. In an effort to raise awareness of the public, and college students alike, the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia police are teaming up to kick off the annual Share the Road bicycle safety campaign.

The campaign will kick off tomorrow at 11 a.m. in front of the Penn Bookstore. The event features members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, PennCycle, Neighborhood Bike Works, Keswick Cycle, the Undergraduate Assembly, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team who will be on site to answer questions about bike safety.

“This safety campaign gives us an opportunity to collaborate with important stakeholders such as the City of Philadelphia Streets Department and bicycle advocate groups to get safety information out to bicyclists, […]

Pennsylvania Drunk Drivers More Likely to be Men

A new study reports that nationwide nearly 60 percent of all drivers in fatal automobile crashes had alcohol or drugs in their systems. In the review of five years of data, researchers found that men, and those driving at night, were more likely to crash with alcohol in their systems.  These findings are not much different than the 2011 Pennsylvania alcohol-related crash data that found 76 percent of the drinking drivers in traffic crashes were male.

Researchers at Columbia University reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatalities in 14 states.  They found that out of 20,150 fatally injured drivers between 2005 and 2009, 57 percent tested positive for at least one drug, and 20 percent had at least two drugs in their system when the accident occurred. Alcohol was the most common drug found in toxicology screenings, followed by marijuana and stimulants comprising 20 percent of the drugs, […]

PA Legislator to Propose Cellphone Ban

This month we reported that law enforcement have been challenged when enforcing Pennsylvania’s anti-texting law.  Since the law allows for talking on the cellphone, drivers can deny they were texting if pulled over and say they were calling someone.  At least one Pennsylvania legislator wants to do something about it and is proposing a ban on all cellphone use behind the wheel.

The Pocono Record reports House Appropriations Minority Chairman Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny plans to introduce the new regulations in the fall. Although the bill has not yet been circulated for co-sponsorship, Markosek believes it has support within the Democratic caucus.

The ban, that will result in a fine of $50, or $100 if driving in a school zone, work zone or highway safety corridor, is being introduced to help police enforce the current ban on texting while driving.

The Pocono Record references the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation statistics that estimate 58 deaths and more than 14,000 distracted-driving car crashes occurred in 2011. […]

PennDOT Announces Child Passenger Safety Week

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that when properly restrained infants have a 71 percent greater chance of surviving a car crash and toddlers have a 54 percent decrease in the risk of death.  To educate adults on the proper use of child safety restraints, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is joining the NHTSA in its Child Passenger Safety Week campaign.  The campaign runs September 16-22, 2012, and ends with National Seat Check Saturday.

The campaign is geared to helping parents find the appropriate car seat for their child.  According to the NHTSA:

“There are so many car seat types and models, how do you know which one is right for your child? The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car and is one you will use correctly every time you travel. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, […]

2011 Pennsylvania Crash Statistics Reveal Pennsylvania Highways are Getting Safer

The 2011 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics booklet, published by the Bureau of Maintenance and Operations, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is now available.  The report is a statistical review of motor vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania for the calendar year 2011.

According to PENNDOT, Pennsylvania roadways are getting safer.  In fact, the 2011 fatality rate of 1.27 deaths per hundred million vehicle-miles of travel was the second lowest ever recorded in Pennsylvania since the department started keeping records of this in 1935.  In addition, the 1,286 accident fatalities in 2011 were the second lowest recorded over the last 68 years.

Following are some of the key findings from the report:

• The total number of reported crashes in 2011 increased 3.4% compared to 2010, but the number of deaths decreased by 2.9%.
• In 2011, there were 125,395 reportable traffic crashes in Pennsylvania. […]