After a series of fatal crashes in Centre County, state police, officials urge seat belt use
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and a highway safety advocate voiced support Friday for strengthening the state’s seat belt laws, which received a middling grade from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
The Keystone State is one of 16 that prevent police from enforcing front seat belt laws as a primary violation. Drivers cannot be pulled over solely for riding unbelted.
About 90% of people in Centre County use seat belts, PennDOT data showed, but that percentage trails states where drivers can be pulled over for not wearing a seat belt.
One of the top goals identified in the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which was developed by nearly a dozen state and federal agencies, was enhancing the state’s seat belt laws.
“We want to continue working with the legislature ... so that it is a primary violation,” PennDOT spokesperson Tim Nebgen said. Josh Woods, a community traffic safety project coordinator with the Highway Safety Network, said he believed the change “would help.”
A weekslong effort focused on enforcing the state’s seat belt laws in Walker Township is set to end Sunday. State police at Rockview increased its presence in the municipality after four people were killed in three April crashes along state Route 64.
Each were either not wearing or were improperly wearing seat belts, police wrote in crash reports.
Seat belt usage was a contributing factor in one-third of fatal crashes statewide between 2016 and 2020. Centre County saw similar rates, PennDOT data showed.
The state’s highway agency also explored whether there was an increase in traffic along Nittany Valley Drive while construction is ongoing along Interstate 80.
The study found there was an increase of about 300 vehicles because of the construction project on the major highway, which Nebgen described as “negligible.”
“Your best bet is to buckle up and wear a seat belt. Err on the side of caution and be safe,” Woods said. “... Keep yourselves, keep others in your vehicle and others on the roadway safe by making smart choices and driving safely.”
PennDOT also placed two radar-controlled speed display boards in the township. One faced northbound traffic between Heartwood Street and Marie Lane, while another faced southbound traffic between Crust and Snydertown roads.
A message board that displayed “Just Buckle Up” was also placed in the rural township. The agency is considering installing a permanent sign with the same message.
