Local police to crack down on aggressive driving

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The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that more than 80 municipal police departments from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties will join the Pennsylvania State Police in a coordinated aggressive driving enforcement wave to help reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on area roadways as part of a statewide mobilization that runs through April 23.

The enforcement wave will focus on distracted driving, speeding, and work zone awareness. Motorists exhibiting other unsafe behaviors such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or other aggressive actions will also be cited.

Law enforcement will use traffic enforcement zones, saturation patrols, speed enforcement details, corridor enforcement, work zone enforcement, and multi-jurisdictional patrol strategies to identify and cite aggressive drivers.

The enforcement is part of Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Program and is funded by part of PennDOT’s investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

If you encounter an aggressive driver, PennDOT offers these tips:

  • Get out of their way and don’t challenge them.
  • Stay relaxed, avoid eye contact, and ignore rude gestures.
  • Don’t block the passing lane if you are driving slower than most of the traffic.
  • Do not attempt to follow or pursue the vehicle. You or a passenger may call the police. But, if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location.

Preliminary 2022 crash data shows there were 1,326 aggressive driving crashes, resulting in 37 fatalities and 94 suspected serious injuries in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Aggressive driving crashes are crashes involving at least two aggressive driving factors in the same crash. Factors include, but are not limited to, running stop signs or red lights, tailgating, careless turning or passing, and driving too fast for conditions.

The goal of targeted enforcement is to reduce the number of aggressive driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Any aggressive driver stopped by police will receive a ticket.

To learn more about aggressive driving and other PennDOT safety initiatives, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.

PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving, and distracted driving for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.

Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Subscribe to PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

Chester County police departments participating include:

Caln Township

Coatesville Borough

Downingtown Borough

East Coventry Township

East Pikeland Township

Easttown Township

North Coventry Township

Southern Chester County Regional

Tredyffrin Township

Upper Uwchlan Township

Uwchlan Township

West Brandywine Township

West Chester Borough

West Goshen Township

Westtown-East Goshen Township

West Whiteland Township

Willistown Township

 

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