An Open Letter to the Legislature:

An Open Letter to the Legislature:

Why do you want RADAR? You say it's for safety, but PennDOT tells us
that 2019 and 2020 were the two safest years we have had since 1928,
and, without RADAR.

If you want safer roads why don't you mandate that every posted speed
limit be set at the 85th Percentile Speed, the safest speed with the
most compliance? The 85th Percentile Speed principle has been a part of
highway safety engineering for 70 years, from before the Interstate
Highway system.

Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) findings are that 90% of
Pennsylvania's posted speed limits are 8 to 12 mph below the speeds that
people drive, safely, every day. De-facto, that the makes them
"speeders." Is that what you want? To turn 85% of taxpaying drivers into
criminals, liable for a $170+ ticket, points, and an insurance
surcharge? Seems a pretty steep price to lay on drivers who are doing
nothing unsafe and endangering no one.

People in neighborhoods complain that "Everyone Speeds!" That is what
you are responding to in pushing RADAR. It is not true. 97% of drivers
operate their vehicle in a reasonable and prudent manner. The police can
easily deal with the 3% of dangerous miscreants without RADAR. Speed
Trap Bill SB 419 makes the police tax collectors.

Local officials post limits low to placate misinformed citizens. Why not
educate the average person on actual highway safety principles,
practices and engineering? Why not stop the pandering to the
sky-is-falling busybodies who want everyone to drive 20 mph? The road is
not a playground, and people need to be reminded of that fact.

Reject Speed Trap Bill SB 419. Thank you.

Archimedes Member, National Motorists Association