Smart Talk: The Move Over Law puts drivers on notice

If you can’t move over, you must slow down — way down.

Effective April 27, 2021, the Move Over Law in Pennsylvania will require drivers take immediate action when approaching an emergency response area along any roadway. If able, drivers should merge into a lane further away from the “response area,” but if that isn’t possible they are required to slow to at least 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.

An emergency response area is where an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing, or where road crews or emergency responders have lighted flares, posted signs, or try to warn travelers.

Barbara L. Zortman, is the Director of the Center for Traffic Safety and she appears on Smart Talk Friday to discuss the new law and the increased penalties for failing to comply.

Noise pollution and the impact on health

Everyday, we are exposed to noise in varying intensity.

Excessive noise is linked a long list of physical conditions and a negative impact on mental health, and the problem is only getting worse.

Ted Rueter, Director of Noise Free America joins Smart Talk Friday to share what can be done to affect the noise problem.

To protect yourself from the harms of noise, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends:
• Wear ear protectors (such as custom-made ear plugs)
• Limit periods of exposure to noise (“Don’t sit next to the speakers at concerts, discos, or auditoriums.”)
• Pump down the volume! (“When using stereo headsets or listening to amplified music in a confined place like a car, turn down the volume.”)
• Educate yourself about the damaging effects of noise.
• Educate others and take action!
• Be a responsible consumer (“Look for a noise rating when buying recreational equipment, children’s toys, household appliances, and power tools.”)
• Inspect your child’s toys for noise danger.
• Have your hearing tested by an audiologist.
• Be aware of the noise in your environment and take control of it.

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Pa. Republican lawmakers and the U.S. Capitol attack

As part of WITF’s commitment to standing with facts, and because the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was an attempt to overthrow representative democracy in America, we are marking elected officials’ connections to the insurrection. Read more about this commitment.

In stories, we will use language that identifies lawmakers who took at least one of these actions: signed on to a Texas lawsuit aimed at invalidating Pennsylvania’s election; signed on to a state House or a state Senate letter urging Congressional representatives to object to or delay certification; and voted against certification. Those actions supported President Donald Trump’s election-fraud lie, causing many of his supporters to believe incorrectly that the election had been stolen, and that led to an assault on the U.S. Capitol.

The list of lawmakers is here.

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