Overlooked traffic laws put in spotlight

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on March 7, 2015

During the last week in February, police departments throughout Chester County participated in Highway Safety Law Awareness Week, said a press release from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office Highway Safety Project.

Motorists in Chester County received warnings during — Motorists in Chester County received warnings about overlooked traffic laws during Highway Safety Law Awareness Week, which ran from Feb. 23 to Feb. 28.

The PennDOT initiative, which ran from Feb. 23 to Feb. 28, was designed to draw attention to overlooked rules of the road:

The “Steer Clear Law” reminds drivers to move over or slow down for police, emergency responders, road crews, and tow-truck operators while they carry out their duties.
“Keep Right Pass Left” focuses on the safety of passing only on the left instead of the right lane, as well as not remaining in the left lane as a travel lane.
“Headlights On, Wipers On” requires that all vehicles have both their headlights and wipers on when operating in inclement weather. If a car’s wipers are on, the headlights must also be activated.
“Clear Vehicles of Ice and Snow” reminds drivers that their cars should be fully clear before winter travel. If snow or ice is dislodged or falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing death or serious bodily injury, the operator of the source vehicle is subject to a fine of $200 to $1,000 for each offense.

“These laws exist to help protect people,” said District Attorney Tom Hogan in the release. “We had one worker killed on the road by a reckless driver in Chester County and multiple fatalities caused by careless or reckless driving. Making sure these laws are followed will save lives.”

Working with the Chester County Highway Safety Project, the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department targeted a stretch of Route 202 in Westtown Township. As a result, 12 vehicles were stopped and a total of five citations and seven warnings were issued.

Of those warnings issued, four were specifically written for violating the Steer Clear Law, which requires motorists to slow down or move over for emergency responders.

“Emergency service responders perform their duties under dangerous conditions and they are trained to take every precaution possible to minimize that risk,” said Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department Police Chief Brenda Bernot. “But every year, many responders around the nation are injured or killed simply because motorists did not comply with the ‘Steer Clear’ law.”

In addition, the West Whiteland Township Police Department displayed its Portable Electronic Traffic Alert Sign Board as part of Highway Safety Law Awareness Week. The board alerted motorists traveling on Route 100 in Exton to be mindful of these laws.

“All agencies are working toward two main goals: to keep motorists safe when traveling on the roadways and to ensure that police, emergency responders, road crews, and tow-truck operators go home to their families at the end of the day,” said Lori Aguilera, the director of the Chester County Highway Safety Project.