Hennessey bill would send unsafe drivers to school
On Tuesday, the state House of Representatives advanced legislation to help prevent dangerous driving and improve highway safety in Pennsylvania.
The will was sponsored by state Rep. Tim Hennessey, R26th Dist., chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
House Bill 1958 would require PennDOT to create a mandatory driver improvement program targeting dangerous drivers. While the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code currently has an optional driver training provision, it has never been instituted by PennDOT. By making it mandatory, PennDOT would be required to act.
“Experience in other states shows that mandatory driver retraining improves the driving skills of chronic offenders and reduces their rates of recidivism,” Hennessey said in a press release. “Better drivers mean safer roads and fewer highway deaths.”
Under Hennessey’s bill, the program would be required as a way to reduce points from a driver’s record when they reach six points, and when a driver is convicted of exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 miles per hour. The course would also be required when applying for Occupational Limited License and Probationary License and would be a condition for license reinstatement following suspension due to point accumulation or excessive speeding.
In 2020, PennDOT reported 1,129 motor vehiclerelated fatalities despite a significant reduction in vehicle miles traveled in the pandemic. Because most of these crashes were caused by driver behavior, the training course required under House Bill 1958 would employ established and effective strategies to change the decision-making processes of traffic offenders and move them to make better driving choices.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.