PennDOT to Focus on Impaired Driving During Holiday Season

The Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently announced plans to focus even more heavily on impaired driving during the upcoming holiday season.

This year, there will be a national Click It or Ticket “Operation Safe Holiday” enforcement effort from November 20 to December 4. Along with this campaign, Pennsylvania state troopers and child passenger safety technicians will conduct free car seat checks all over the state. Technicians will check seats for suitability and safety, and provide participants with instruction on installing and using the seats and restraints.

State law requires children under four to be restrained in an approved child safety seat and children four to eight to use a booster seat. Additionally, children under 18 must wear seatbelts when riding in a vehicle, and all drivers and passengers in the front seat must wear seatbelts while the vehicle is in motion.

Penalties for DUI in Pennsylvania

As state law enforcement officers ramp up efforts to pull over those suspected of driving under the influence (DUI), it’s important to understand the strict penalties for this crime in Pennsylvania. If it’s your first offense, you may be eligible for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program (ARD), a pre-trial diversionary program which does not involve jail time. A second DUI conviction, however, involves mandatory minimum jail sentences.  Third and subsequent convictions come with even harsher penalties, including longer jail sentences.

Pennsylvania is taking the enforcement of impaired driving seriously. If you have been charged with DUI, meet with trusted criminal defense lawyer David R. Eshelman today.