House Bill 606

Contact your state representative and encourage them to support House Bill 606 and bring it to a final vote this spring!

EXAMPLE LETTER

I am writing to voice my support for House Bill 606, which would make Pennsylvania the last state in the nation to allow municipal police departments to use radar to enforce speed limits.

Speeding is a major problem in Lancaster City. Long stretches of main roads lack stop signs or traffic lights, which has invited speeding and endangers pedestrians, bicyclists and other motorists. It is not uncommon for people to be going 45 or 50 mph in a city where all streets are posted at 25 mph. Our streets are not just means of transportation, they are neighborhoods lined with homes and families. Many parents are afraid to let their children play on the sidewalks out of fear that they will be struck. Radar would be an effective tool in making our streets safer.

The original justification for not allowing radar was the potential for abuse. Perhaps it reflected a legitimate fear in the 1960s that small municipalities would become speed traps, but this argument is outdated. Municipalities would only see a small fraction of a potential speeding ticket while the remaining funds would go to the state.

It is time for our local police officers to be given the tools they need to protect our citizens and make our streets safe for all. There are no good reasons why municipal officers, whom we trust with the same equipment as State Troopers in every other capacity, should not have this life-saving tool.

I respectfully ask that you support House Bill 606 and bring it to a final vote this spring.