Open Letter On Speed Limits from A Reader

You have an opportunity to save lives in this election year

You can make every road safer by enacting and enforcing a mandate that municipalities and PennDOT abide by the provision in Title 75 that says speed limits should be posted at the 85th Percentile Speed, the safest speed with the most compliance. It is also an MUTCD directive.

This will free up police departments to deal with the very small percentage of truly reckless drivers.

You have a further opportunity: deep-six Speed Trap Bill SB 607, which, if enacted, will foster predatory enforcement of unsafe, too-low posted speed limits, wasting scarce police resources in return for ticket revenue.

First Priority: properly Engineer highways, including posting the safest speed limits; Second Priority: return Driver Education to the high schools to teach  safe driving practices; Third Priority: locate and ticket the very small percentage of truly reckless drivers.

The enforcement-for-profit drive now prevalent in Harrisburg will not make the roads safer. Cash cows and four-wheel ATMs we are not. Drivers are not happy with your approval of red light and speed cameras that make the highways more dangerous. Don’t make things worse by giving RADAR to municipal police.

I have been fighting giving RADAR to municipal police since 2001: HB 1961. Speed Trap Bill SB 607 should be buried and not resurrected.

Show the taxpayers that you care more about their safety than their money from unfair tickets.

Tom McCarey Member, National Motorists Association