Pennsylvania is wrapping up Highway Safety Law Awareness Week, featuring safety laws that impact crashes and fatalities each year:

Distracted Driving: The Texting-While-Driving Ban prohibits sending, reading or writing a text-based communication while the vehicle is in motion.

Seat Belts: Any occupant younger than 18 is required to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of 2 must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of 4 must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.

Impaired driving: The law prohibits people from driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. Penalties for driving while impaired can include up to $10,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, up to 18 months license suspension and more.

Speeding: Drivers must drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing intersections, railroad grade crossings, going around a curve, approaching a hill crest, traveling upon a narrow or winding roadway, and when special hazards exist with respect to pedestrians or weather or highway conditions. It is sometimes called the “assured clear distance” rule because it requires motorists to operate at a speed at which they can stop within an “assured clear distance.”

Young Driver Law: Licenses young drivers through a three-stage program, reflecting gradual progression in skill, experience, and decision-making ability. The law has proved effective in reducing crashes and fatalities for 16- and 17-year-olds.