11/7/16
by News Department on 11/07/16Wolf signs Daniel's Law into effect...
A new law, regarding texting behind the wheel, in Pennsylvania, can now put you behind bars for several years.
Texting while driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. It's also one of the most fatal -- taking the lives of many -- including a southwestern Pennsylvania firefighter. 68-year-old Daniel Gallatin was killed while riding his motorcycle in 2013. The woman who hit him was texting and driving and served only 60 days in jail -- a sentence that prompted Daniel's family to fight for tougher penalties.
Now, three years later, Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill called Daniel's law into effect on November 4.
Under the new law, a PA driver who kills someone while texting could get an additional five-year sentence, while a driver who seriously injures someone while texting could get an additional two years behind bars.
Governor Wolf said that texting and driving crashes have been under-punished for too long.
