Pittsburgh, PA – To reinforce the importance of specific state laws, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) urges drivers to review and obey safety laws that may not be well known among the public as part of Highway Safety Law Awareness Week.

Highway Safety Law Awareness Week, which runs through February 27, brings attention to state laws that are often violated or forgotten by the traveling public. These laws are in place to promote safety and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities due to roadway crashes.

While several safety laws have been included this year, District 11 would like to highlight the following as reminders which may be lesser known:

• “Prohibiting Use of Hearing Impairment Devices” law prohibits any driver from wearing headphones while behind the wheel. This section does not prohibit the use of a headset in conjunction with a cell phone which provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other. Wearing headphones while behind the wheel limits the driver’s ability to hear sirens belonging to emergency responders.

• Title 75, Section 3112 under “Traffic Control Signals,” dictates laws surrounding traffic lights. As part of a 2016 amendment, the law includes instruction on what can be done if a driver believes the traffic light is not functioning properly. This includes when the light’s “sensor” does not detect the vehicle. In this case, drivers are instructed to stop in the same manner as a stop sign and can proceed when it is safe to do so.

• Title 75, Section 4302 under “Wipers On, Headlights On” requires that all vehicles should have their headlights on anytime the windshield wipers are operating in continuous or intermittent use in response to inclement weather including but not limited to rain, snow, fog, sleet, or mist.

Highway Safety Traffic Laws are enforced in an effort to keep the public safe on the road; however, everyone must do their part in order to reach this goal. Motorists are encouraged to use this safety week as an opportunity to educate themselves and others on safe road habits.