WILLIAMS’ BILL TO MAKE HIGHWAYS SAFER ADVANCES

 HARRISBURG, JUNE 29 – Senate Transportation Committee members today advanced legislation sponsored by state Sen. Connie Williams that would make highways safer for motorists, crash victims and emergency service responders.

 Williams’ legislation (S.B. 946) would clarify the responsibilities of motorists involved in accidents that do not result in apparent serious injury or death to ensure that vehicles are removed from the roadway immediately.

 “Traffic tie-ups and secondary accidents often occur following a traffic accident,” Williams said. “While incident management will certainly aid in reducing or in some cases avoiding traffic tie-ups following accidents, this legislation is needed is to improve the safety of motorists, crash victims and emergency services personnel.”

 According to Williams, traffic accidents, no matter how minor, are unpleasant and often tragic for those involved, but the situation only worsens if a second accident happens as a result of the first., or if someone responding to the scene to help the victims, becomes a victim.

 According to the Federal Highway Administration Office of Travel Management, incident-related delay accounts for between 50 and 60 percent of total congestion in metropolitan areas.  As study by the Washington State Department of Transportation found that over a seven-year period, 3,165 shoulder collisions (secondary accidents) had occurred on the interstate, limited access or other state highways. These collisions caused 40 deaths and 1,774 injuries.

 For every minute that a lane is closed on a highway, one mile of backup accumulates.

 “My district is a crossroads for major highways,” Williams said. “When an accident happens on one of the major highways, it can cause traffic problems on the others that intersect it and the entire Southeast.”