PennDOT Announces Crackdown on Aggressive Driving

For those drivers who treat the highway like it's a NASCAR speedway, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced it will fund statewide police enforcement of aggressive driving.

PennDOT said in a statement that 30 municipal police departments in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties will target 29 roadways within their jurisdictions in an effort to reduce the number aggressive-driving crashes in Pennsylvania.

Municipal and state police will be looking for motorists who tailgate, speed and run traffic signals, according to the statement.

Statewide, participating police departments wrote 154,642 aggressive-driving related citations last year, including 73,108 for speeding. Disobedience of traffic control devices or signs was the second most-common offense, resulting in 36,136 citations.  The extra traffic enforcement also resulted in 171 felony arrests, 1,683 driving under the influence arrests and 553 drug-related arrests.

The departments will take part in the crackdown, which is funded by nearly $2.1 million in federal money, through March 27. PennDOT's investment includes paying for police overtime costs.