Pay attention to the dangers of aggressive and distracted driving

April is National Month of Awarenessand the authorities are doing their best to make sure motorists are paying attention.

State and local police set up the scene on March 30, participating in multi-state dispersal which will run until April 24 on roads across Pennsylvania, including highways and interstate highways.

According to PennDOT, coordinated, supervised law enforcement is aimed at speeding, distracted driving and awareness of the work area. At Berks, attempts on March 30 involved police booking a 4-mile section of Route 422 in the city of Exeter, where nearly 650 accidents were recorded last year.

“We have a big problem at 422,” the sergeant said. Sean Fullerton, Public Affairs Officer, Exeter Police Department at a press conference at runtime.

According to PennDOT, there were 24,978 speeding accidents across the state in 2020, killing 433 people and 1,387 alleged serious injuries.

It helps motorists see that state police are also providing speed and other aggressive behavior on roads such as Route 422 because it sends a message that state police and local police are working together, Exeter Police Sergeant said. David Benz, who helps coordinate law enforcement activities funded by grants sent through the road safety network.

In 2020, the state military issued more than 107,000 speeding reports, including more than 2,000 for speeding 100 miles per hour or more. Last year, those numbers increased as the number of speeding quotes was more than 129,000. In addition, more than 2,200 tickets were issued for overclocking 100 miles per hour or more.

In 2020, there were 5,615 accidents with aggressive driving, in which 91 people died and 401 were seriously injured. Preliminary data for 2021 show that the number of fatalities in accidents with aggressive driving – an accident involving two or more aggressive driving factors – could increase by as much as 40%.

Authorities attribute the increase to an increase in the number of drivers on the road as the coronavirus pandemic weakens, but also to a prolonged public frustration with the pandemic that contributed to the aggression behind the wheel. PennDOT defines aggressive management like stop signs and red traffic lights, careless and illegal turns, careless detours and exits from lanes at high speeds and of course too fast traffic given the conditions and the surrounding traffic.

Such behavior poses an even greater danger in work areas, according to PennDOT, state police, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, which urge motorists to reduce speed and pay attention to work areas. April 10-17 is the National Awareness Week.

According to a PennDOT press release, in 2021 there were 1,617 failures in work areas, resulting in 15 deaths. In addition, since 1970, PennDOT has lost 90 employees in the line of duty. According to a press release, PA Turnpike has lost 45 workers since 1940.

In addition, there is the distraction management that AAA is struggling with this month, amplifying informativeness: “Don’t drive off-road”.

“Delayed driving is one of the fastest growing threats to road safety,” said Teresa Padguski, director of legislative affairs at AAA East Central, in a press release. “Any distraction, whether text messages or a conversation with a passenger, distracts the motorist from the road and can have dangerous consequences.”

In 2020, 3,138 people were killed in an accident in America, according to the latest figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to a AAA release.

Distractions are not limited to mobile phones: they can also include eating, changing music, adjusting navigation, checking hair or makeup, talking to other passengers and anything else that distracts from driving.

The Foundation’s Traffic Safety Safety Index for 2020 showed that although 96 percent of motorists thought sending text messages or emails while driving was very or extremely dangerous, nearly 4 out of 10 drivers admitted to doing so within the previous 30 days.

The combined efforts and messages of police, motorists and state and federal agencies point to the importance of careful and polite driving, as well as not to distract you before you get behind the wheel.

Accidents continue to be a major cause of death in the United States, especially among young drivers. Don’t be annoyed by this month’s address messages and law enforcement. Note: Saved lives can be your own and those you love.