Police statewide are participating in an aggressive driver detail from March 20 through April 30.
These details allow officers to target problem areas throughout the township and enforce aggressive driving violations. Aggressive Driving includes violations such as speeding, texting while driving, stop sign violations, tailgating and others. Seat belt violations will also be enforced. We would like to remind motorists about the dangers of driving aggressively by providing the statistics listed below. Remember, always arrive alive by driving safe.
Aggressive driving behaviors include speeding, tailgating and running red lights.
- In the past 10 years, the highest number of speed-related crashes statewide occurred in 2007, with 36,521.
- While crash numbers are trending downward historically, speed-related crashes have increased from a recent low of 30,024 in 2014 to 31,333 in 2015.
- Speed-related fatalities have decreased from 694 in 2007 to 457 in 2015. However, an increase occurred in that category of fatalities from 2014 (429) to 2015 (457).
- Municipal police agencies that participated in last year’s campaign wrote 43,154 aggressive-driving related citations, including 28,235 for speeding. Running red lights and stop signs was the second most-common offense, resulting in 2,807 citations.
- In 2015, there were 23 fatalities (2 workers) and 1,327 people were injured in 1,935 work zone crashes. Drivers do not always use the appropriate level of caution nor anticipate the constantly changing conditions in a work zone.
- Motorists are reminded of the state’s anti-texting while driving law. It is a primary offense for any driver to use an Interactive Wireless Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion.
- Enhanced penalties for distracted driving crashes in Pennsylvania were recently enacted. Driver’s texting while driving can receive up to 5 years in prison if the violation resulted in the death of another person. A texting while driving crash that causes serious bodily injury could land the driver up to a two-year sentence. In 2015, there were 60 fatalities caused by distracted driving, and 283 fatalities in the past five years.
- Motorists are reminded to buckle up. Police will watch for motorists violating the state’s seat belt laws.
SOURCE: Swatara Township Police Department
