Politics & Government

Bill Would Up Fines for Drivers Who Ignore Flood Barriers

State Rep. Todd Stephens hopes to introduce 'Turn Around, Don't Drown' legislation that would stiffen penalties for motorists who disregard road closures during flooding.

In the best possible scenarios, emergency responders who rescue a driver from floodwaters look back a few years later and chuckle at the centenarian who was out to buy bananas in the middle of a hurricane. In the worst cases, they look back and remember the friend and colleague they lost in the raging currents while attempting to rescue a victim who shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

With soon-to-be-proposed legislation, representative Todd Stephens (R-151) of Horsham, hopes to curb the frequency of both occurrences. Stephens' bill, called "Turn Around, Don't Drown," would impose a fine of $500 for driving around a barrier closing a road for hazardous conditions. It also calls for a 90-day license suspension if the driver's vehicle becomes disabled as a result of driving around a barricade.

"The goal here is to raise awareness," said Stephens. "If people are going to drive around a barrier and endanger first responders who would have to come and save them, I think they need to pay a penalty for doing so."

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As it currently stands, residents can only be cited for driving around barriers under miscellaneous traffic violations, with tickets rarely topping $150. Officials hope that the education the bill creates, and not necessarily the fear of penalties, will help with prevention.

Stephens is currently shopping an early version of the bill around Harrisburg in hopes of finding support and co-sponsors before hitting the floor.

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Upper Dublin Township manager Paul Leonard, who was one of several officials that sat down with Stephens last year to talk about emergency response concerns, said the "Turn Around, Don't Drown" language comes from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) initiative that he and his staff have been promoting for years.

"It's been supported by numerous public safety agencies as an educational initiative to avoid tragedies," Leonard said.

During last year, first responders in Hatboro and Horsham put their lives at risk rescuing people who ignored raging floodwaters outside of their homes and, in more instances, barricaded roads. At least six people in Horsham failed to heed Horsham Emergency Management Coordinator Following the storm, he told Patch that six people had to be rescued from their vehicles as the storm pummeled the region.

In Hatboro, firefighters from rescued 15 people, including a at the Woodwinds complex, as well as a man who drove around a barricade in Upper Moreland, became stranded and required a .

“People just don’t understand what the force of the water’s going to do,” Enterprise Fire Company Assistant Fire Chief James Anders III told Patch following the rescues. “Barricades are there for a reason.”

Perkiomen Township fire chief John Moran voiced support for Stephens' legislation.

"Their ignorance is putting the lives of emergency responders in jeopardy," said Moran. "You can't fix stupid, but at least the authorities can fine them for it."


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