Laws and Related Issues: Address Changes, Seat Belts, Child Restraints, Air Bags, Disabled Parking, Inspection, Bicycle Passing, Texting and Carbon Monoxide

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Pennsylvania non-commercial Class C knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, chapter 5 "Laws and Related Issues" (pp. 89–93) and chapter 6 "References" (pp. 94–95).

Name and address changes

Notify PennDOT within 15 days of a change of name or address, even when moving out of state, online or by phone; if you are a registered voter the county voter office is told too. Licenses are issued only to Pennsylvania residents. A name change uses form DL-80, and you receive an update card to carry with the license, free for non-commercial drivers.

The seat belt law

All drivers and front-seat passengers in cars, light trucks and motor homes must wear seat belts; passengers aged 8 to 17 must be belted wherever they sit; and a driver under 18 may not carry more passengers than seat belts. Your body keeps moving at the vehicle's speed until it hits the dashboard or windshield with several tons of force, which shatters even the strongest arms and legs; at 30 mph the impact is like falling from a three-story building, and an unbelted occupant can die at 12 mph. You have 1/50th of a second to stop your body; only belts act that fast, spreading the force over the chest, hips and shoulders. Air bags add "ride down" but never replace the belt. Belts also keep you inside: you are almost 25 times more likely to be killed if thrown out, the forces can fling you 150 feet, and four of five people killed by ejection would have lived inside the car.

The child restraint law

About 7,000 Pennsylvania children under five are in crashes each year. Children under 4 ride in a federally approved child safety seat secured by the seat belt or LATCH, front or back; children 4 through 7 ride in a federally approved booster seat with lap and shoulder belt, front or back; children 8 through 17 wear a seat belt wherever they sit; and the driver is responsible for securing everyone under 18. Violators are fined and pay court costs. Children under 2 ride rear-facing until they outgrow the seat's weight and height limits, and a rear-facing seat must never go in front of an air bag, which would strike the seat back with tremendous force. Read the owner's manual and the seat's instructions to attach it tightly and buckle the child snugly.

Heatstroke: with the outside temperature in the low 80s, the inside of a car reaches deadly levels in 10 minutes, even with a window cracked two inches. Never leave a child or pet alone in a car, never let children play in an unattended vehicle, put something you need (purse, phone) in the back seat so you check it, and keep a stuffed animal in the empty car seat that moves to the front when the child is aboard. Winter coats compress in a crash and leave the harness slack, so buckle children without bulky coats.

Air bags

Air bags supplement lap and shoulder belts, which must always be worn snug across the hips and chest away from the neck. Sit as far back as practical, at least 10 inches from the steering wheel, while still reaching the pedals and controls; hold the wheel at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 o'clock with your thumbs on the rim, so a deploying bag does not break your wrists or throw your arms into your face. Rear-facing infant seats never ride in front of a passenger air bag, and children 12 and under belong in the back seat: most collisions are frontal, and fidgeting children drift too close to the bag.

Accessibility

Every Driver License and Photo License Center is accessible. PennDOT provides a sign language interpreter on request (ASL, PSE, Signed Exact English or an oral interpreter) for the knowledge test, road test or special point exam: call at least two weeks ahead with three possible dates, or use the Pennsylvania Relay Service (TDD users dial 711). Voice (read-aloud) knowledge tests are offered at every center for people who have trouble reading.

Disabled parking, littering and inspection

Parking in a space for persons with disabilities requires both a disabled person or disabled veteran plate or placard and that the vehicle be driven by or for the disabled person; unlawful vehicles are towed and reclaimed at the owner's cost, and the summary offense is fined $50 to $200. Littering from a vehicle onto any highway, property or water, including by your passengers, is fined up to $300. A safety inspection is required every 12 months at an authorized station, up to 90 days before the sticker expires; an officer who spots faulty equipment may require a fix within five days; and in many counties an emissions inspection of a 1975-or-newer car, van or light truck must precede the safety inspection.

Safe passing of bicycles

When passing a bicycle you must leave at least four feet of clearance, and may cross the double yellow center line to do so when safe. A bicyclist slower than traffic must keep right and ride with traffic, except when turning left and except on roads with a single lane each way; in a single travel lane the cyclist may use any part of it to avoid hazards and stay clear of parked cars. A driver may not turn into the path of a cyclist riding straight ahead on the road or shoulder, and forcing a cyclist off the road can bring criminal charges. Cyclists are vehicle operators who must obey traffic laws, but they may ride below a posted minimum speed without being cited for impeding traffic, and may use a shoulder or berm without being required to. Open doors: use the Dutch Reach, checking the rearview and side mirrors and opening the door with your far hand, which turns your body toward approaching cyclists and slows the door; cyclists should ride at least three feet from parked cars to stay out of the door zone.

Texting and closed-road laws

The anti-texting law (March 8, 2012) makes sending, reading or writing a text, instant message or email on an interactive wireless communication device while driving a primary summary offense with a $50 fine. It covers phones, PDAs, smartphones and portable computers, preempts local ordinances, does not allow seizure of the device, and does not cover GPS units, systems integrated into the vehicle, or devices fixed to a transit vehicle, bus or school bus. The hazardous conditions law (September 6, 2012) makes it illegal to drive around or through signs or devices closing a road for hazards such as flooding: two points and a fine up to $250, rising to $500 plus repayment of the response costs if emergency responders are called out because of you.

Carbon monoxide

Every gas-powered vehicle emits carbon monoxide, an odorless, deadly gas you cannot smell; drowsiness or nausea while driving can be a sign. Symptoms: fatigue or weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, rapid heart rate, irregular breathing, confusion, coughing, chest pain. Prevention: maintain the exhaust system and fix holes at once; never warm up the car in a garage with the door down, and never forget to switch off a keyless car in an attached garage; clear snow and ice from the tailpipe; crack a window when idling in traffic; consider a battery carbon monoxide detector, changing its batteries at the clock changes; and if you suspect poisoning, get out, get fresh air and seek emergency care.

References

The Customer Call Center answers weekdays 8 to 5 (TDD 711). Road tests and special point exams need appointments, online or by phone; under 18 you wait six months after the permit and complete the 65 hours first. Certified third-party businesses give the identical road test for a fee. 511PA gives free 24-hour traffic, weather and transit information by phone (511) or online, covering all 1,759 miles of interstate including the Turnpike and the major roads of Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh; check it before you leave, never while driving.

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