What questions do Pennsylvania motorists have about rules of the road?
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Scott LaMar
Aired; November 22nd, 2023.
More Americans travel over the Thanksgiving weekend than any other period of the year. They’ll be going to family gatherings for the holiday, college students are returning home over break, and in Pennsylvania, many deer hunters are heading to camp.
Most of the travelers will be driving. Traffic is already heavier on some highways than usual. There’s no doubt that some of us will asked ourselves whether we’re following the laws or protocols of the road. More likely though, we’ll be critical of another driver.
On The Spark, we take this timely opportunity to talk about rules of the road – answering questions about what’s safe, what’s legal, what’s not and how to be better drivers.
Joining us on the program Wednesday were Lt. Adam Reed, Director of the Communications Office for the Pennsylvania State Police and Fritzi Schreffler, Safety Press Officer with District 8 Penndot.
Schreffler said that motorists should be on the lookout for deer this weekend and this time of year overall,”I think people forget it’s rutting season. They’re (the deer) all looking for a mate right now. So they’re not paying attention or whether they’re running across the road. But also hunting season is upon us. The farmers are clearing out their fields, and that’s the area where they like to hang out. And the more construction, the more development that we have. They’re losing their habitat.”
State Farm Insurance has these tips for avoiding a collision with a deer:
- Always scan ahead for animals as you drive, particularly if you see signs such as “deer crossing.”
- Slow down when you see animals along the road.
- If you see one deer, you can assume others are nearby — so exercise extra caution.
- Reduce distractions, such as from a cellphone.
- Avoid swerving if a crash seems inevitable. It is better to maintain control of your car even if that means a collision.
- Flick your high beams at night: This can cause animals to flee.
Lt. Reed said the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest party nights of the year and as a result, stopping drunk driving is a priority,”Thanksgiving weekend, really through the holidays, but specifically, Thanksgiving weekend is a very DUI focused weekend for PSP. In addition to enforcing and being present with the increased traffic volumes. Our troopers are also going to have special details out there, checkpoints out there on the lookout specifically for impaired drivers.”
