Getting pulled over for speeding seems to be much more of a concern for Pennsylvania drivers than being arrested for drinking and driving. That is one of the results of a survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), which queried nearly 4,000 drivers on a variety of road-related topics including drunk driving, texting, speeding, and seatbelt usage. The majority of survey takers resided in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and York areas.
More than half of those surveyed surprisingly had little fear of being arrested for impaired driving or not wearing a seat belt. Instead, the greatest fear of drivers was being ticketed for speeding. Most drivers believed officers were lying in wait for speeding violations, not DUI stops.
Behavior of Pennsylvania Drivers
Despite concern around speeding stops, nearly half of the drivers surveyed said they routinely drive more than 70 mph in 65 mph zones. And regardless of being less concerned about being stopped for DUI, almost 80 percent of drivers said they had not driven within two hours of drinking during the past two months.
Also on the positive side, over 90 percent of respondents made a point not to text and email while driving. More than 80 percent said they either never or rarely talk on their cell phones while driving. In addition, more than 90 percent of drivers surveyed said they wear seat belts most, if not all, of the time when driving.
PennDOT plans to use the data gained in the survey to aid in determining key areas to improve highway safety and traffic enforcement. Hopefully the information gained will serve to prevent motor vehicle accidents and further encourage safe driving habits.
