A Pennsylvania town painting curvy traffic lines/lanes to slow speeders

[WhatInThe]

Montergomery Township in Pennsylvania has painted curvy traffic lines/lanes in an attempt to slow speeders. The road is apparently a cut through or short cut between 2 highways

PA Town Paints Squiggly Lanes to Slow Drivers Down, and It's Sort of Working

Wonder how many 'failure to maintain a lane' tickets will be issued now?

 

[jhummel73]

I understand the frustration with speeders but it seems to me to be more likely to produce accidents, and pedestrians beware.

 

[Pepper]

I don't see how thing s could be legal. I see lawsuits

 

[Twostep]

How do you do a sobriety test while walking on squiggles?

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Seems like they are trying to cause accidents! I feel sorry for student drivers and their teachers.

 

[Magna-Carta]

It's interesting timing, published on April 1st.

 

[Gardenlover]

It might just work, I like that they are thinking outside the box.

 

[stretch5881]

Looks like a challenge to me.

 

[AnneTeak]

Squiggly lines look like you could potentially flip your car over.

I retired from a company that installs speed cameras on problem roads. That specific area has newly installed cameras.

 

[Bella]

I also foresee accidents. It's inevitable that people will drive straight through the squiggly lines. Or they'll back up traffic by driving so slowly in an attempt to stay within the lines.

 

[bobcat]

Usually speeders don't pay that much attention to laws, so I expect they will ignore this very quickly.

 

[UpstateGal]

It doesn't make sense to me. It seems like a suggestion they received from a grade school child. Why not use modern technology to solve the problem? I'm not sure how the speed cameras work. But technology that captures the speed and a picture of the license plate to issues fines to the speeding drivers may be a start. Followed up with a large fine for speeding and loss of license should be a deterrent.

 

[911]

I don't see how thing s could be legal. I see lawsuits

In Pennsylvania, this is entirely legal in certain situations. In this case, it was done in an attempt to control speeding. You can bet, the local or state police are monitoring drivers to make certain they stayed within their line. Crossing the line is a moving violation and the driver will receive a citation, which will include a $150 fine, plus 3 points.

If traffic is moving in both directions, drivers will have to make sure they don’t cross the center line or they will be held at fault if an accident occurs. The Pennsylvania State Police does not use the street lines as part of a field sobriety test. I don’t know of any police departments in PA that does. That would be dangerous.

The lines painted in the article aren’t so critically curved that it shouldn’t be an issue to stay within the lines. When we (the PSP) gave driving tests, we had our own course at each barracks. One part of the test was for the driver to drive through a section of roadway with the curved lines. It was called driving through the serpentine. Some Troops used cones and the drivers had to drive around the cones without hitting them and others had the lines painted.

In Pennsylvania, crossing the center line is a $150 fine, plus 3 points. If a driver reaches 6 points, they must take a written test within 30 days. At 11 or more points, the driver’s license is suspended. The more times it’s suspended, the longer they go without their license. If the driver is caught while under suspension jail time is likely.

In Pennsylvania, if you are stopped while driving, you should hope it’s not by a Trooper. The PSP gives fewer warnings than local police.

 

[911]

It doesn't make sense to me. It seems like a suggestion they received from a grade school child. Why not use modern technology to solve the problem? I'm not sure how the speed cameras work. But technology that captures the speed and a picture of the license plate to issues fines to the speeding drivers may be a start. Followed up with a large fine for speeding and loss of license should be a deterrent.

The reason why boroughs use curved center lines is to slow traffic and not to issue fines. If a driver crosses the center line, then a citation may be issued. The borough is not looking to make money, but to change driver’s attitudes.

 

[UpstateGal]

The reason why boroughs use curved center lines is to slow traffic and not to issue fines. If a driver crosses the center line, then a citation may be issued. The borough is not looking to make money, but to change driver’s attitudes.

IMHO, I don't think this is a realistic way to change speeding driver's attitudes.

 

[MACKTEXAS]

Red-light cameras and other camera usage for speeding etc. was banned in Texas 6 years ago. No video images allowed for issuing citations or complaints.

 

[WhatInThe]

IMHO, I don't think this is a realistic way to change speeding driver's attitudes.

That's the thing. Alot of speeders don't even realize how fast they're going or are more worried about anything but the road and drivers in front of them. Others have the what ever they can get away with attitude.

Certain areas or roads seem to attract speeders as well. The road in the op looks pretty straight for the most part. BUT too many houses along that road. Just one kid or dog chasing a ball could fall victim to a speeding car real fast.

 

[911]

Pennsylvania uses speed cameras mostly in work areas. Any vehicle exceeding 11 mph over the speed limit set for the work zone, which in most cases is 40 mph, will set the camera off. If the owner was not the driver, the owner may request a hearing to present evidence that they were not driving the vehicle at the time. By law, the owner does not have to report who the driver was.

These are civil penalties. First offense, the driver receives a warning. The second offense is a fine of $75, the third offense and further offenses is $150. Because this is a civil offense, no points are added.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

In my opinion, these wavy lines cause more distress than anything. It’s certainly a distraction for the driver.. I’m surprised it’s even legal.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

Gee, drivers can follow the actual contours of the road, or try to dive according to the curved double yellow lines.
No, drivers going all over the road in different directions won't cause accidents. Instead of waving center lines, we could blindfold drivers to get them to slow down.