Bicycle Coalition

Pennsylvania Reps. Mary Jo Daley (D) and Brett Miller (R) are looking for co-sponsors for a new “Vulnerable User” protections bill in the Pennsylvania legislature. The future legislation, according to the memorandum, will “define the term “Vulnerable Highway User” and increase the penalties for a person convicted of reckless or careless driving that results in either the death, serious bodily injury, or bodily injury of a Vulnerable Highway User.”

This legislation will hopefully be an important deterrent for people who drive cars to be more careful when passing cyclists, pedestrians, horse/buggies, tractors, and other vulnerable transportation.

“This legislation will provide that extra deterrence by making the penalty for reckless driving the same as that which has been established for killing or injuring road workers in a work zone. Additionally, penalties for careless driving have been established as half the amount of those for reckless driving,” according to the memo.

For state Rep. Mary Jo Daley, this legislation is personal.

Daley’s niece Erin was killed by a driver on Lehigh Avenue during her internship at Temple University Hospital in 2016. She and her sister, Liz (Erin’s mom), have since joined Families For Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia to help advocate for safer streets throughout the region.

Members of Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, the Vision Zero Alliance, and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia will be traveling to Harrisburg on Tuesday, April 30 to advocate for this memo to be turned into legislation, as well as a number of other bills, including a parking-protected bike lane and pedestrian plaza bill.

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