PennDOT Reminder: Practice Safe Driving Practices In Road Work Zones

Harrisburg PA

18 June, 2022

4:05 PM

Description

By NCPA Staff, NorthCentralPA.com June 18, 2022 Harrisburg, Pa. — Following several cases of motorists hitting PennDOT employees or equipment, motorists are being reminded to follow safety protocols while passing through or by work zones. No matter how inconvenient road work is while traveling or commuting, road workers deserve to go home safely after work. According to PennDOT data, in 2021, there were 1,649 work zone crashes, resulting in 16 fatalities. Additionally, since 1970, PennDOT has lost 90 workers in the line of duty. Motorists are reminded that under Title 75, Section 3326, drivers caught by police going 11 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and are convicted for failing to drive at a safe speed will lose their license for 15 days. Fines for certain traffic violations including speeding, driving under the influence, and failure to obey traffic devices are doubled for active work zones. The law also dictates that a motorist may receive up to five years of additional jail time for homicide by vehicle in an active work zone. Fines may also be administered through the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program, which uses vehicle-mounted systems to detect and record vehicles that are exceeding posted work zone speed limits by 11 miles per hour or greater. The systems are present in active work zones where workers are present, and all automated enforcement sites have unique signage notifying drivers about the upcoming enforcement site. Drivers will receive a warning letter for a first offense; a violation notice and $75 fine for a second offense; and a violation notice and $150 fine for third and subsequent offenses. These count as civil penalties and do not affect driver's licenses. NorthcentralPa.com provides the region with reliable, relevant, and real-time news, covering weather, community news and events, crime, police activity, local, regional, and national alerts, and PennDOT-reported road construction and conditions. We report on local and regional politics, offer a platform for nonprofits to report their news and events, and share obituaries. Scanner reports let readers know what's happening outside their homes the minute it happens.