MUSTO INTRODUCES ROAD WORKER SAFETY BILL
HARRISBURG, Nov. 15, 2001 – State Sen. Raphael Musto, D-14, introduced legislation this week to impose stricter penalties on drivers who cause the death of road construction workers in the Commonwealth.
The Pittston Democrat said his proposal (S.B. 1210) takes aim at individuals who are convicted of Homicide by Vehicle or Aggravated Assault by Vehicle under the state’s Motor Vehicle Code, by increasing the punishment for such crimes if committed in a road construction zone.
For example, Musto said, the mandatory minimum sentence for Homicide by Vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol is 3 years. Under his bill, if the crime is committed in a construction zone, the minimum sentence increases to 5 years.
"As responsible lawmakers we simply have to do something worthwhile and tangible to protect the men and women who build and repair our roadways throughout the Commonwealth," Musto said.
"It’s unfortunate when an accident occurs, but when the death of an innocent worker is the direct result of negligence on the part of the driver, punishment should be separate and severe," Musto noted.
Musto said the bill is similar to laws currently enforced in both Illinois and Michigan. He said 75 PennDOT workers have been killed while on the job since 1970, a figure that does not include the number of deaths involving contractor personal working for the state or local governments.
"If you add to this figure the number of serious injuries to highway and road workers each year, the total number of accidents really climbs," Musto said.
Musto noted Luzerne County is among the grim statistics for tragic accidents within construction zones.
"The driver who killed a PennDOT employee in south Luzerne last spring received a meager slap on the wrist, a $25 fine," he said. Musto also noted that few a months later, a popular Harrisburg lobbyist was killed and his business partner severely injured after being rear-ended by a tractor-trailer on Rt. 81. The truck failed to stop for traffic that had slowed in a construction zone. He said the incident is a good example of how work zone speeds are often ignored by drivers, thus putting workers and other motorists at risk.
"Until we can show the driving public that we mean business, that the law will make you pay for violating highway work zone safety, the problem will only get worse and we may lose more men and women to highway accidents."
Musto’s bill would increase penalties as follow: