For Oct. 26 -- ROAD WATCH
PennDOT is reminding teen drivers and their parents/guardians to be aware of the behaviors that cause most teen-driver crashes.
While Pennsylvania has had a reduction in crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers over the past several years due in part to the state’s graduated driver-licensing program, “many teen drivers still do not appreciate the complexity of driving,” says PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler.
“Drivers must constantly evaluate complex situations, make split-second decisions and perform intricate maneuvers,” he pointed out.
“A teen driver’s lack of experience and potential for risk-taking can be a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, mix,” Biehler said.
National Teen Driver Safety Week ended Saturday.
There were 9,833 crashes involving a 16- or 17-year-old driver in Pennsylvania in 2007, resulting in 104 fatalities.
Although more than one factor may contribute to a crash, statistics show that driving too fast for conditions, driver inexperience, and improper or careless turning were the main causes of those crashes.
About 37 percent of the crashes involving a 16- or 17-year-old driver in 2007 involved at least one of these factors.
Additionally, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone, text messaging, having other teen passengers in a vehicle with the teen driver, adjusting the radio or eating while driving, are also major contributors to highway crashes as these behaviors take the teen driver’s full attention away from the driving task.
Driver distractions contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers in 2007.
PennDOT says the risk of a crash involving any of these factors can be reduced through practice, limiting the number of passengers a teen driver can have in a vehicle, setting a good example for the teen driver, abiding by the law and exercising common sense.
SEPTA SCHEDULES
SEPTA’S new Regional Rail schedules effective today will reflect the addition of eight recently purchased railcars to increase peak-hour seating capacity by 1,800 each weekday.
The railcars were acquired from New Jersey Transit to help ease overcrowding and will be added to trains on the R2 Wilmington-Newark, R3 Media-Elwyn, R3 West Trenton, R5 Paoli-Thorndale and R7 Trenton lines.
Passengers may pick up schedules at Market-East, Suburban and 30th Street stations and SEPTA sales offices.
A new R2 Wilmington-Newark train has been added to the schedule and will depart Marcus Hook Station at 7:02 p.m. weekdays. The addition of a new train will allow the R2 train departing Newark Station at 6:46 p.m. on current weekday schedules to operate express service between Marcus Hook and University City stations.
In addition, the R2 train departing Newark at 6:48 a.m. will now serve passengers at Norwood Station each weekday.
The R3 train departing Elwyn Station at 7:47 a.m. on current weekday schedules will now depart Elwyn four minutes earlier. This train which will operate with additional capacity will serve all stations up to Secane and then operate express service to University City Station.
BEN FRANKLIN BRIDGE
On Tuesday, at 7 a.m. the Fifth Street vehicular tunnel under the Ben Franklin Bridge will be closed to traffic for electrical repairs.
The tunnel is scheduled to reopen 3 p.m. Thursday.
Traffic will be detoured to use the left side of Fifth Street to Race Street.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
I-95 North – Chester, overhead bridge repairs between Highland Avenue exit and Commodore Barry Bridge exit 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27-28.
I-95 North – Tinicum, crack sealing between Route 420 and Philadelphia County line 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 28.
I-95 South – Chester, overhead bridge repairs between Commodore Barry Bridge exit and Highland Avenue exit 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday.
I-476 North/South (Blue Route) – Ridley Township, Nether Providence, Springfield and Marple, reflective pavement marker installation, lane closure between Route 322 and Chester County line Thursday and Nov. 3-5, 9 p.m.-6 a.m.
Route 1 North/South – Chadds Ford and Concord, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation with lane restrictions between Black Horse Lane and Route 352 (Middletown Road) 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 19. Work began Oct. 27.
Route 1 South – Middletown, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation between Middletown Road and Elwyn Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 19. Work began Oct. 27.
Upper Chichester – U.S. Route 322 East/West (Conchester Highway) crack sealing between I-95 and Cherry Tree Road 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday.
Springfield Road – Darby Borough and Collingdale, PECO utility installation between South Ridge Road and Lynbrook Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 3
U.S. Route 13 North (Chester Pike) – Eddystone and Ridley Park, crack sealing between Bullens Lane and Route 420, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27.
Upper Providence – Ridley Creek Road, pipe installation, closed/detoured between Kirk Lane and Rose Tree Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27-30.
Media Line Road – Marple and Newtown, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation, closed/detoured between Route 3 and Gradyville Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 15. Work began Oct. 6.
Upper Darby – Lansdowne Avenue, PECO installation between Garrett and Marshall roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. through Oct. 31. Work began Sept. 22.
Tinicum – Wanamaker Avenue, utility installation by Aqua Pennsylvania, closed/detoured between Route 291 and Second Street, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 31. Work began July 21.
Haverford – Darby Road closed/detoured between Route 320 and Marple Road, road widening/utility installation, weekdays and Saturdays 7 a.m.-7 p.m. through Nov. 24. Work began May 27.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.