Police In Bucks County To Combat Aggressive Drivers On March 2

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. –- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Monday announced an initiative to combat aggressive drivers in the area.

PennDOT said six police departments in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties will be on the alert for aggressive drivers during a coordinated, PennDOT-funded enforcement effort on Wednesday, March 2. 

Nearly $2.1 million in funds will provide police with extra enforcement efforts including staff. PennDOT distributes the statewide investment of federal funds.

The effort is part of PennDOT's Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Program, which targets specific roadways with a history of aggressive-driving crashes.

Running stop signs or red traffic lights, passing in no-passing zones, improper lane changes, speeding and tailgating are among some of the violations related to aggressive-driving crashes, according to PennDOT.

On March 2, participating police agencies will conduct enforcement at the following locations:

 Bucks County

• Penndel Borough, Business Route 1, 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Northampton Township, Route 232, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Delaware County

• Springfield Township, State Road near Springfield Road, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Montgomery County

• Springfield Township, Church Road near Route 309, 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.
• Lower Merion Township, Montgomery Avenue in the Rosemont section, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Pottstown Borough, Route 100 near High Street, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Aggressive-driving enforcement is scheduled during specific periods each year, with a current enforcement wave that began Feb. 14 and runs through March 27. More than 300 police departments and Pennsylvania State Police are participating statewide, including 79 departments in the five-county Philadelphia region, at various times during the period. Three of the participating departments -- Penndel Borough, Northampton Township and Springfield Township (Montgomery County) -- are new to the program.

Participating police departments wrote 154,642 aggressive-driving related citations in 2010, including 73,108 for speeding. Disobedience of traffic control devices/signs was the second most-common offense, resulting in 36,136 citations. The extra traffic enforcement also brought about 171 felony arrests, 1,683 DUI arrests and 553 drug-related arrests.

Visit PennDOT's Drive Safe PA website for more information. Follow local PennDOT information at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly.