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For Immediate release:

October 25, 2011

Governor Corbett Signs Bill to Strengthen Teen Driver Safety and Training

Harrisburg - Governor Tom Corbett today signed House Bill 9, also known as “Lacey’s Law,” which will help junior drivers receive more comprehensive training, limit the number of passengers that junior drivers may carry, and make failing to wear a seatbelt a primary offense for junior drivers and passengers.

“Pennsylvania has made great strides in reducing teendriving fatalities in the past decade but when it comes to the health and well-being of our children, we must go further,” Corbett said during an event at Harrisburg High School. “I am joined today by family members of children we have lost and we all agree that ‘Lacey’s Law’ is the next step in keeping our children safe when they begin driving on their own.”

The new law specifically takes the following actions:

• Strengthens passenger restrictions for junior drivers. For the first six months after receiving a junior license, a driver under the age of 18 will not be permitted to have more than one passenger under age 18 who is not an immediate family member unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. After six months, they may have up to three passengers under the age of 18, provided they have not received any violations or been partially or fully responsible for an accident. These restrictions apply until the junior driver turns 18.
• Increases from 50 to 65 hours the amount of supervised, behind-the-wheel training required for permit-holders under age 18. Ten of the added hours are for nighttime driving and five additional hours are spent driving in poor weather conditions.
• Changes the seatbelt requirements for drivers and passengers under the age of 18 to make the lack of seatbelt a primary offense, meaning the driver can be pulled over solely for that violation. The fine for conviction is $75.
• Requires the Department of Transportation biannually compile and make public a report concerning junior drivers involved in an accident with multiple passengers under 18 years of age in the vehicle, the number of passengers under 18 in the vehicle at the time of the accidents and whether the driver and passengers used seatbelts. This data must be also included in a report submitted to the House and Senate transportation committees.

  The legislation is named for Lacey Gallagher, 18, from the Philadelphia area, who was killed in car crash on April 28, 2007. She was a passenger in an SUV with six other teenagers. All of the other teens were injured; none wore seat belts.

  “Teen drivers out there may feel that they are being singled out by this bill and, the fact is, they are. Each of our children, like Lacey Gallagher, represents our future, our hopes and our dreams. We are not ready to give them up to a needless accident and we support this bill because we care so much for them,” said Corbett.

  Accordingly to a study done by the Institute for Highway Safety in 2005, the incidence of car crashes for junior drivers rises incrementally with the number of passengers in the car.

  The governor thanked Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks), Sen. John Rafferty (R-Chester), Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks), and the leadership of the House and Senate transportation committees for their work on this legislation.

  Learn more about driver licensing and young-driver safety at the Department of Transportation’s website.

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  July 2, 2010

  Distracted drivers

  Have you ever been in an auto accident and WISH you hadn’t done this or that but you did and now your car is a wreck or you can’t stand,walk, or face the kids of the dad you killed or maimed?

  We all live with certain regrets, most not so serious as above.

  Car accidents are generally very avoidable

  Driver distraction is outnumbers all other causes. 80% of all accidents are attributed to some sort of distraction. Nearly 25% of car accidents in 2008 were attributed to cell phone talking by the driver (1.4 MILLION crashes). A driver on his cell phone is as inattentive as a driver with 0.08 blood alcohol level according to studies by the University of Utah. This applies to both handheld and hands-free cell phones. In 2008, 6000 americans died because of distracted drivers, Half of those deaths were by drivers on the cell phone.

  Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as a 70 year old. Young drivers have the worse accident frequency of all age groups. Put a friend in the cars and the accident rate increases 38% no doubt due to distraction. 56% of young drivers admit to using cell phones while driving; 13% admit to texting while driving.

  The majority of Americans believe that talking on the phone and texting are the two most dangerous behaviors that occur behind the wheel of a car. Yet 81% admit to making calls while driving.

  Keep your eyes on the road!

  Texting while driving causes a 400% increase in the time a driver’s eyes are OFF the road. For every 6 seconds of drive time, a driver sending or receiving a text spends 4.6 seconds with their eyes off the road. In that amount of time the average car travels 100 yards… touchdown! Professional drivers do no better. A truck driver texting while driving is 23.2 times more likely to get into an accident than a trucker paying full attention to his driving. Texting while driving contributes to 200,000 crashes per year.

  More information is available at Insurance Information Institute.

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  Yetter Insurance Launches New and Improved Website

  Milford, PA – Yetter Insurance is pleased to announce the launch of its new and improved website, www.YetterIns.com. This website offers many of the same great features as the original, but the new site has a more user-friendly layout as well an updated look and expanded tools section.

  “For over 37 years, Yetter Insurance has been dedicated to providing the very best in customer service,” said the agency’s Vice President, Sherie Schoch, “and through this website update, we have made it easier for customers to find the answers for which they are looking regarding their insurance questions.”

  Yetter Insurance Agency offers all types of insurance and financial services, working with renowned companies like Erie, Progressive, Zurich, Foremost, and United Health. Yetter's personal lines include auto and home owners insurance among many others. They offer a host of commercial insurance choices such as vehicle liability, workers compensation and builders risk. The agency has several health insurance lines including major and short term medical coverage, and they offer many types of life insurance options, permanent life, term life and retirement annuities. In fact, the website offers a useful estate planning life calculator tool to help people determine how much life insurance and retirement savings would be necessary to meet their goals and objectives.

  Among the top reasons people choose Yetter is to find affordable insurance, personal service, and protection they can depend on in a time of need.

  “We take the time to listen to our customers; find out what they really need; and match them with the best protection coverage while saving them money,” said Agency Owner, Greg Yetter.

  One of the website’s enhancements is the new tools page where visitors can watch several different insurance related presentations. On this page, people can learn about ways to prevent accidents and save money.

  Yetter Insurance Agency, Inc. is family owned and has been operating out of Milford since 1972. They are licensed in Pennsylvania and New York, and people living and working in Pike and Orange Counties have relied on Yetter's insurance company to protect themselves, their families and their assets for over 37 years.

  For more information, people are welcome to stop by the office located at 109 Route 6 in Milford, PA (directly across from Apple Valley Restaurant), or call 570-296-8329.