Pennsylvania bill addresses apportioned registrations, vehicle snow and ice removal

A Pennsylvania bill moving through the House covers apportioned registrations, and snow and ice removal from atop vehicles.

The apportioned registration provision is touted to benefit truck drivers and the state transportation department.

The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday, June 22, to advance a bill to require the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to stagger the expiration dates of commercial vehicles apportioned registrations.

Pennsylvania regulations now mandate every apportioned vehicle registration to expire annually on May 31.

Advocates say the single expiration date has historically caused an annual backlog at the agency. They add that there is no need for PennDOT to require every apportioned registration to expire at the same time.

The change in SB1094 would provide at least four renewal periods each year. The department would be authorized to pro-rate registration as the new expiration dates are created.

Currently, there are seven states that stagger registrations quarterly and 40 states stagger monthly.

OOIDA backs change

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says the change would be good for members responsible for purchasing and renewing their own plates.

The Association estimates there are about 3,000-4,000 OOIDA members affected who reside in the state.

OOIDA has said the current system that expires all apportioned registrations at the same time is “chaotic at best and creates an unnecessary backlog.”

Snow and ice removal

Another provision in the Pennsylvania bill addresses the winter driving concern of snow and ice removal from atop cars and trucks.

State law allows police to ticket car and truck drivers from $200 to $1,000 if the wintry precipitation causes serious injury or death.

The provision would require drivers to remove accumulated ice or snow before driving on roadways.

Law enforcement would be authorized to issue tickets solely for failure to clear their vehicles of snow and ice. In addition to trucks, mass transit vehicles, buses, and school buses would be covered by the rule.

Drivers would be required to make “reasonable efforts” to remove snow or ice from all parts of their vehicles within 24 hours of a weather event.

Offenders would face a maximum fine of $1,500 if the wintry precipitation causes serious injury or death. The bill includes an additional protection allowing police to ticket drivers $50 for failure to clear snow or ice before they take to the roads.

Truck operators would be excused if they are on their way to a facility to remove accumulated snow or ice. In addition, violations would not be issued if compliance would cause the trucker to violate any federal or state law or regulation regarding workplace safety, or if it would be a health or safety threat.

Enforcement would be limited to highways.

OOIDA concern

The Association has concern about rules that allow police to pull over drivers whose vehicles were not cleared of snow or ice. OOIDA points out that facilities are not readily available to accommodate clearance mandates on trucks. Another problem is the practicality of rules that appear to require people to climb atop large vehicles, and do so in less-than desirable conditions.

The truckers group says the accumulation of snow and ice on any vehicle has the potential to negatively impact highway safety.

“However, when it comes to commercial motor vehicles, there’s really no practical or safe way of removing it from the top of a trailer, especially during winter weather conditions.”

The Association does note that the language does “appear to address some of the safety issues that OOIDA and others have raised through the years.”

MCSAC

Also included in the Pennsylvania bill is a provision described to modernize the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.

Sen. Chris Gebhard, R-Lebanon, says MCSAC is a critical advisory committee under the Pennsylvania DOT that assesses, evaluates and recommends standards for the safe operation of motor carriers, including heavy trucks, public transit buses, school buses, coach buses, etc.

Gebhard wrote in communication with legislators that the advisory committee has recommended updates to the membership composition and to refine the powers and duties to “effectively address the safe movement of people and goods by commercial motor vehicles.”

Gebhard said in a news release that some notable changes to the updated duties of the committee would include implementing education programs for first- and second-year commercial driver’s license drivers, offering incentives for drivers to undergo safety training throughout their careers, creating a plan to increase and document motor carrier use of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and developing policy to address the dissemination of information among employers of CDL drivers relative to employee job performance and conduct to best protect the public from unsafe drivers.

The bill now moves to the House floor. If approved there, SB1094 would head back to the Senate for approval of House changes before it can go to the governor’s desk. LL

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