Last week, more than 80 local police departments collectively announced that they are joining the Pennsylvania State Police in a “new” effort to crack down on “aggressive or unsafe driving behaviors.” The announcement defined “aggressive driving” as things like running stop signs or red lights, following other cars too closely, dangerous lane-changing, and driving too fast. Police may be issuing more traffic tickets over the next month.
Why the announcement?
According to traffic data, there were 1,297 “aggressive driving crashes” in the five-county area in 2023. This includes the counties of Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia. An “aggressive driving crash” is a crash that involved at least two aggressive driving behaviors. Those 1,297 local crashes seriously injured 99 people and killed 39 individuals. Police hope that the announcement will deter drivers from exhibiting aggressive or impatient behavior on the roadway.
Which police departments are involved?
There are more than 80 police departments across Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia Counties that are participating in the new initiative. There are too many to list in this article. But, you practically won’t be able to drive anywhere around here without passing through a community that’s participating.
Is this any different than usual traffic enforcement?
It may not be. Obviously, police are always out there enforcing the law, including the rules of the road. If a police officer observes dangerous driving behavior, he or she is going to stop the offending vehicle. If a driver causes a crash because he or she was driving aggressively, he or she is going to get a traffic ticket. While this announcement may prove to be more symbolic than anything, the announcement does note that anybody stopped for aggressive driving will receive a traffic ticket. This might mean that the chiefs of the participating departments have ordered their officers to not issue any warnings, and instead just issue tickets.
What do I do if I get a traffic ticket?
The attorneys at Fairlie & Lippy, P.C. have handled countless traffic cases over the course of their careers. We’ve even written a comprehensive page explaining large portions of Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code. We are lawyers that other lawyers come to with questions about traffic issues. If you receive a traffic ticket from the police, no matter how harmless or serious you think it might be, give us a call at 215-997-1000 for a free consultation session.
Or contact me privately:
steve@fairlielaw.com
(215) 997–1000