A new Pennsylvania law aims to discourage driving during floods

HARRISBURG - They are the little dramas that accompany big rains. Last September, first responders pulled drivers out of rising floodwaters more than three dozen times in Upper Dublin Township alone.

Paul Leonard, the township's manager and a firefighter himself, said his department frequently has to go into the water to retrieve drivers who ignore signs for flooded roads.

Responders risk needing to be saved themselves, as happened to a boatload of rescuers in Upper Moreland after flooding caused by Hurricane Irene last September.

"We routinely in this area, and across the country, have first responders risking their lives on rescues," Leonard said. "First responders, police and fire, the works, are all frustrated by rescues that could have been avoided."

A legislator heard Leonard's lament and decided to do something about it. So, starting this fall, if floodwaters rise again, police and other responders will have a recourse when they encounter those drivers: traffic tickets.

A law signed by Gov. Corbett last week allows a fine of $250 to $500 for a violation, two points on the offender's driver's license, and the cost of any rescue by first responders. The law, which drew unanimous support in the state House and Senate, takes effect in September.

The measure's prime sponsor, State Rep. Todd Stephens (R., Montgomery), said he got the idea for the law after speaking with Leonard about dealing with drivers in floods.

"A lot of the intent behind the law is to raise awareness; people don't understand how dangerous floodwaters can be," Stephens said. "As more citations are issued, more and more people will turn around rather than risk drowning."

He said the law, and its name - "Turn Around, Don't Drown" - tie in with an educational initiative by the National Weather Service that uses the same name and aims to reduce flooding deaths on the nation's roads.

According to the weather service's website, two feet of water is enough to float most autos, thus keeping drivers from escaping a flooded area. The federal agency's statistics say a majority of the nation's flood deaths, which average more than 80 a year, are drivers or passengers.

Arizona adopted a similar law in 1995, making errant drivers liable for the costs of their rescues. That law targets drivers who try to drive through flash-flood-prone desert areas.

Would fear of traffic fines discourage Pennsylvania drivers who are in trouble from calling for help? Stephens said he didn't think so.

"If you're in danger, I don't think these penalties will be on your mind," he said. "Saving your life and the lives of others in your vehicle will be a primary concern."

Leonard said the law is no silver bullet for drivers' behavior, which can be hard to address in the best of situations. He said it was safer for drivers to find a high, dry spot to wait out a storm than to try to drive through rough weather, especially with rising floodwaters - but many drivers do not seem to understand that.

"We've had fatalities where people are returning videos to Blockbuster. That was their excuse to be out there in the storm," he said. "No one pretends that this legislation is going to solve all of these problems, but it is going to disincentivize it."

He said he wants to couple enforcement of the law with educational materials from the weather service so people better understand the power of moving water.

"Even small creeks that don't have names can sweep you up," the firefighter and township manager said.

"You could be in for the ride of your life, and not something fun either. I mean it: the ride of your life."