Distracted Driving Citations Down by Nearly Half in 2020

teenager on phone while behind wheel 2020 was a year with a lot of bad news, but there is some good news about last year. For example, data from the Pennsylvania court system shows the number of distracted driving citations was down 47 percent compared to 2019. This may indicate there was less distracted driving in 2020 compared to the previous year.

It is also worth noting the total number of traffic citations for any offenses was down 33 percent in 2020 compared to the year before.

Pennsylvania allows distracted driving citations to be issued for the following actions:

Wearing headphones while you are driving
Using handheld mobile devices if driving a commercial vehicle
Texting (reading, writing or sending a text message) while you are driving

The website for the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania has an infographic highlighting these and other statistics related to distracted driving citations in the state:

Most citations are given out between 10 a.m. and noon
11 percent of these citations were issued in May 2020, which is the month with the most citations issued for the whole year

34 percent of those cited for distracted driving were in their 20s
More than 70 percent of those who received citations were male

The website also has a table showing distracted driving citations by county from 2016 through 2020. In that time, Montgomery had the highest percent of distracted driving citations (11.16 percent). Montgomery County led the state in distracted driving citations each year between 2016 and 2019:

2016: 379 citations
2017: 620 citations

2018: 577 citations
2019: 443 citations

Dauphin County had 106 citations last year, which was the fifth-most in the state. Allegheny County had the most with 197 while Montgomery was close behind at 188.

Injured in a Distracted Driving Crash? Call Schmidt Kramer Today

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The initial consultation is free and there is no risk because there is no obligation to hire our firm. If we validate your claim, we are prepared to guide you throughout the process. Distracted driving can be difficult to prove, which is why you may greatly benefit from hiring an experienced Harrisburg auto accident lawyer.

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Distracted Driving Citations in Pennsylvania Decreased by 47 Percent from 2019 to 2020

Injured in a Distracted Driving Crash? Call Schmidt Kramer Today