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    PennDOT, Safety Partners Promote Teen Driver Safety at Mock Hearings

    April 18, 2024

    Uniontown, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) partnered with the Highway Safety Network, AAA East Central, a local judge, and state and local law enforcement to educate teen drivers on the consequences of unsafe driving behaviors by conducting mock traffic hearings with area high school students.

    Students from Beth Center, California, Canon-McMillan, Charleroi, Jefferson-Morgan, Monessen, Trinity, and West Greene High Schools went before Magisterial District Judge Michael Manfredi at the South Strabane Municipal Building for mock hearings. Pennsylvania State Police and South Strabane Township Police also took part representing the Commonwealth. 

    According to preliminary PennDOT data, in 2023 there were 20,268 crashes involving teen drivers in Pennsylvania, resulting in 151 fatalities. 

    PennDOT would like to remind teen drivers of important safety tips: 

    • Always wear your seat belt. 
    • Don't drink and drive. Drinking under the age of 21 is illegal. 
    • Don't talk or text on your cellphone while driving. 
    • Obey the speed limit. Going too fast gives you less time to react. 
    • Don't eat or drink while driving. 
    • Adjust radio and climate controls before beginning your trip, have your passenger adjust the controls for you or pull over to a safe place to adjust the controls. 
    • Since in many cases the teen driver shares a vehicle with a parent/guardian, the driver's seat and all mirrors should be adjusted prior to beginning a trip. 
    • If you cannot see a truck's mirrors the driver cannot see you. 

    For more information on teen driver safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety. 

    Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts. 

     Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/district12.  

     Information about infrastructure in District 12, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D12Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov. 

    Follow PennDOT on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram. 

    MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Swecker, eswecker@pa.gov or 724-425-3018 

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