Police in Philly, Suburbs Are Targeting Aggressive Drivers: Here's the Plan

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Heads up Pennsylvania drivers, aggressive driving could get you in trouble this summer.

PennDOT announced in a news release Tuesday that more than 80 municipal police departments from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties will be joining Pennsylvania State Police as part of a statewide enforcement wave.

The police departments will try to help reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities, PennDOT said.

The crackdown will last through Aug. 21 focusing on heavy truck violations, pedestrian safety, red light running and tailgating. If drivers are speeding or too close to another car, they'll be cited by police, PennDOT said.

According to PennDOT police will use tactics such as traffic enforcement zones, saturation patrols, speed enforcement details, corridor enforcement and work zone enforcement to identify aggressive drivers.

This enforcement is all apart of the Pennsylvania's Highway Safety Program and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2021, 27 people were killed due to aggressive driving in Philadelphia and the four surrounding Pennsylvania counties, PennDOT said.

PennDOT offered the following tips should you come in contact with an aggressive driver:

• Get out of their way and don't challenge them.
• Stay relaxed, avoid eye contact, and ignore rude gestures.
• Don't block the passing lane if you are driving slower than most of the traffic.
• Do not attempt to follow or pursue the vehicle. You or a passenger may call the police. But, if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location.

To learn more about aggressive driving and other PennDOT safety initiatives, visit their site.