PennDOT Efficiency Drive Could Free Up Funds For Roadwork

Editor’s note:  Who ever thought we would see PennDOT and efficiency in the same sentence!

Extra taxes and fees aren’t the only tricks PennDOT has up its sleeves to round up more money for road projects.

The agency’s also turning to some less obvious solutions to its funding woes, such as mail-sorting machines and more durable highway paint.

PennDOT’s put together a list of technology investments, policy changes and other tweaks it thinks could save the state $50 million to $75 million a year and, in some cases, make the agency a little more pleasant to deal with.

The anticipated savings are a drop in the bucket compared with the $3.5 billion gap between available funding and the state’s transportation needs.  But it’s something.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=446586

New Teen Driving Rules Take Effect Tuesday, December 27th

York, PA – Starting Tuesday morning, teens face new driving restrictions, including the number of passengers they can transport in their vehicle, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Here is a rundown of the new rules:

— Drivers under the age of 18 will not be able to transport more than one passenger younger than 18 for the first six months. After six months, junior drivers can transport up to three passengers younger than 18 as long as the driver has not been convicted of a driving violation or has not been partially or fully responsible for a reportable crash.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_19621137

Highways Becoming Safer – Traffic Deaths Hit 61 Year Low

Some good news to report about the safety of America’s highways!  In 2010 32,788 people died on the nation’s highways.  This is down from 43,320 deaths in 2005, which represents a 25 percent decrease in five years.

In 1949 the U.S. population was less than half of what was reported in the 2010 census.  The number of miles driven rose by 20.5 billion in 2010.  With more cars and people on the nation’s highways than ever before, the fatality rate per 100 million miles was 1.09 in 2010 (a record low).

A big reason for the reduction of automotive fatalities is the use of seatbelts.  Nationally, seatbelt usage stands at 85 percent, which is an all time high.  Along with technology like anti-lock brakes, airbags and drunken driving crackdowns, seatbelt use has made a huge impact on driver safety.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Pearls Of Driving Wisdom

Good article from the Reading Eagle about basic driving rules and courtesy.  

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=272585