PennDOT, law enforcement stress driver vigilance at annual Safety Day
PennDOT held its annual Safety Day event, emphasizing the importance of road safety as peak travel season begins across the country.
The event, held at the North East Welcome Center along Interstate 90, featured 91 crosses to honor PennDOT workers who have died in the line of duty since 1970. These crosses serve as a somber reminder of the risks faced by road workers and the importance of driver vigilance.
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'It can definitely be tough because of the constant advancement of technology and with what cars are having now,' said Saxon Daugherty, Safety Press Officer for PennDOT District 1. 'We try to stay on top of that and evolve with the times and make sure we're applying what drivers are seeing out on the road to what we're talking about in these educational opportunities.'
Safety partners at the event advocated for awareness of the dangers of impaired and distracted driving, work zone safety, litter, human trafficking, the Move Over Law, and pedestrian safety. Simulators were available to demonstrate the risks of impaired driving.
A significant focus was placed on Paul Miller's Law, which prohibits the use of hand-held devices like cell phones while driving. The law is currently in a one-year warning period to raise awareness before full enforcement begins.
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Trooper Todd Bingman of the Pennsylvania State Police emphasized the importance of the warning period, stating, 'The big point of the one-year of warnings only is to get the word out and to really let people know that this law is in effect and is going to be taken seriously.'
Officials at the event stressed the importance of road safety and encouraged drivers to think of their loved ones when behind the wheel, reinforcing that everyone deserves to return home safely.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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