News You Can Use

 
 

From Senate Republican Policy Development & Research Office

November 14, 2008

Click it or Ticket Campaign Kicks off 2008 Thanksgiving Holiday

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are conducting a statewide "Click It Or Ticket" campaign from November 17 through November 30, 2008 to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities associated with the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. 

Enforcement efforts will target high crash areas identified through a PSP computer tracking program.  Traffic safety checkpoints will be conducted throughout the campaign.  Seat belt and child passenger restraints will be important elements in PSP efforts to ensure adults and children are safely buckled-up and snapped-in. 

Pennsylvania's seat belt usage rate is now at 86.7 percent and has been growing in recent years.  However, seven of the 10 people killed during the 2007 five-day Thanksgiving holiday driving period were not wearing seat belts.  There were 320 others injured in the 1,064 crashes to which State Police responded during that time period. 

Parents and guardians interested in the PSP Child Safety Seat Checkup Events should consult the schedule.  Although the program is called "Click It or Ticket," citations will not be given to persons who voluntarily come to an inspection event to have the seat checked. 

Safe Cooking Temperatures Fact Sheet Ready for Your Holiday Meals

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture wants to bring you and your cooking thermometer closer together this holiday season. 

No doubt your holiday fare will include eggs, fish, meat, poultry, or some combination of these items.  According to the state's agricultural authorities, the minimum internal temperature at which pathogens are destroyed depends upon the type of food being cooked. 

The Department is providing a chart you may want to print and keep alongside your recipe books for future reference.  Click on the "Safe Cooking Temperatures Fact Sheet" for a listing of foods and minimum safe internal temperatures. 

Since the microwave frequently plays into the preparation of our holiday meals, the Department wanted to be sure temperature is of equal concern when microwaving.  Find a discussion of temperature and microwave cooking tips in the Fact Sheet. 

Keystone Country Roadtrips Await You & Your Family  

If you are looking to take advantage of the recent drop in gas prices to get out and see Keystone Country, hit the road with the itinerary for 1 of 2 newly featured roadtrips designed by VisitPA to bring down-home goodness to your travels. 

Choose the I-80 Ag Tour and travel across the northern tier, dipping into agricultural treasures along the way or set out to tickle your taste buds along the historic Lincoln Highway.  Find tips on places to go, things to see and do, good food, and lodging to complete your planning.

Whether you wish to walk through the woods, stroll a shopping outlet, or party on the peninsula of Presque Isle, there's a roadtrip waiting for you.  Currently, 31 roadtrips take in agriculture, amusement parks, zoos and related fun, arts and entertainment, festivals and fairs, history and heritage, outdoor recreation, shopping, sporting events, and wineries and breweries. 

Order your free Pennsylvania Travel Guide for thousands of lodging listings, all-new roadtrips, detailed maps, and gorgeous photos of the State's seven tourism regions.  The Guide includes famous (and not so famous) attractions, along with festival listings, fun-filled events, regional tourism information, recommendations, and more. 

Sign up for Pennsylvania Pursuits at the same time to receive the free quarterly magazine dedicated to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in Pennsylvania travel.  Experience some of Pennsylvania's best roadtrips, outdoor escapes, off-the-beaten-path small towns, big-city adventures, festivals, and more. 

Didn't Order It -- Don't Have To Pay For It

No doubt you have either started your holiday shopping or are planning to do so shortly.  As a result, those online and catalog orders will soon start showing up on your doorstep. 

According to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG), if you receive unsolicited merchandise and are billed for it, you may be seeing first-hand, new marketing methods including one called "negative option" marketing or "continuity plans" being employed by some businesses.

The company mails you its product unsolicited, and then bills you for the product you did not order.  Often, you continue to receive unsolicited merchandise from the company until you affirmatively opt out of the deal.  Another method involves offering free trials or products.  By requesting and retaining the "free" merchandise, you unknowingly obligate yourself to the company for future purchases. 

Get tips from the OAG to avoid entering into a deal you never wanted.  If you have been wrongly charged for a product you did not order or have been taken advantage of by a negative option marketing technique, contact the Office of the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555. 

Water Conservation Tips In Face of Drought

While we often think of droughts in the warmer months, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is observing 2 or 3 months of below-normal precipitation and declining stream flow in 29 Pennsylvania counties.  The result is DEP's declaration of a drought watch in the western and north central areas of the state.

DEP cautions that while conditions are better in the eastern portion of the state, county groundwater well levels are showing signs of stress and are being monitored closely by the environmental agency. 

Meanwhile, DEP is calling for voluntary water conservation on the part of affected homeowners and businesses.  A drought watch declaration is the first and least severe level of the state's three drought classifications.  It calls for a voluntary 5 percent reduction in non-essential water use. 

Observing a few tips in our homes can immediately reduce water consumption:

  • Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets
  • Check for household leaks – a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day
  • Take short showers instead of baths
  • Replace older appliances with high efficiency, front loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40-50 percent less energy
  • Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads
  • Keep water in the refrigerator to avoid running water from a faucet until it is cold

Access DEP's Fact Sheet, "Drop by Drop: Use Water Wisely" for conservation measures you can adopt.  Access Water Conservation Tips for information helpful to businesses, health care facilities, golf courses, and other commercial operations. 

Deer, Roads & November – Recipe for Crashes

Mating deer make for dangerous driving, most especially in November, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).  As suburbia and deer habitat continue to intersect through urban sprawl, a crash with a white-tailed deer may be waiting around the next corner. 

Across the country, IIHS reports there are nearly 1.5 million animal-vehicle collisions annually causing $1 billion in damages.  From 1993 to 2007, Pennsylvania (112) ranked third behind Texas (227) and Wisconsin (123) in terms of animal collision-related deaths.  Along with an average annual death rate of 150 people, another 10,000 are injured. 

The most likely fatal crash conditions involve rural areas, roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher, and darkness.  Tips for preventing a collision with a deer include: 

  • Be aware of your surroundings.  
  • Pay attention to "deer crossing" signs.  
  • Scan down the road and far off to each side.  
  • At night, use your high-beam lights if possible to illuminate the road's edges.  
  • Be especially watchful in areas near woods and water.  If you see one deer, there may be several others nearby. 
  • Be particularly alert at dusk and dawn when these animals venture out to feed. 
  • If you see a deer, moose or elk on or near the roadway and think you have time to avoid hitting it, reduce your speed, tap your brakes to warn other drivers and sound your horn.  
  • Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause the animal to move.  
  • If there's no vehicle close behind you, brake hard. 
  • If a collision seems inevitable, don't swerve to avoid the animal; your risk of injury may be greater if you do.  Maintain control of the vehicle.  
  • Report the accident to the police and your insurance company. 
  • Always obey the speed limit and wear safety belts.

Drivers in a collision with a deer are not required to report the accident to the Game Commission.  However, if the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass by calling the Game Commission Regional Office representing the county where the accident occurred.  An agency dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number, which the caller should write down.  A driver must call within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer. 

A passing Pennsylvania motorist also may claim the deer, if the person whose vehicle hit it doesn't want it.  Again, the motorist must report taking possession of the deer within 24 hours to the Game Commission.  Also, antlers from bucks killed in vehicle collisions must be turned over to the Game Commission.