In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation which will authorize municipalities, by ordinance, to use automated AI road safety monitoring systems in school zones. This legislation would permit PennDOT-approved systems to enforce two dangerous violations that are directly linked to serious crashes involving children: failure to stop at stop signs and failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
 
Recently, a pilot study found that pedestrians experienced failures-to-yield about two out of five times they were crossing the street, which amounts to 4,100 violations per day. Traffic safety in school zones continues to deteriorate in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from PennDOT shows a clear upward trend in crashes occurring in designated school zones: in 2020, there were 291 school-zone crashes involving 550 vehicles and 717 people. Those numbers have consistently risen over the years, with 2024 tallying 332 crashes in school zones involving 665 vehicles and 1,058 people. This upward trend is especially concerning given the broader statewide safety picture: Pedestrian crashes remain among the most dangerous, with 174 pedestrian fatalities and 2,990 pedestrian injuries statewide in 2024. Children are disproportionately affected: in 2024, there were 147 recorded pedestrian injuries among kids from the age of five to nine, 274 among ages 10 to 14, and 240 among ages 15 to 19. As traffic volumes rebound and continue to increase after the pandemic, dangerous behaviors such as speeding, distraction from mobile phones, and failure to yield have persisted, continuing to place children at risk in school zones.
 
The bill establishes a $40 civil penalty with a 30-day warning period upon implementation and applies owner liability subject to clear exemptions, including emergency response, funeral processions, stolen vehicles, and lawful compliance. Violations do not become part of a motorist’s driving record and are not treated as moving violations.
 
It includes strong due-process, transparency, and privacy protections; requiring clear signage, a public awareness campaign, evidence-based notices with appeal rights, annual reporting to PennDOT, and strict limits on the use and retention of recorded images, which must be destroyed within 48 hours after final disposition. All revenue must be reinvested in roadway safety projects, and participation is voluntary with no cost to the Commonwealth.
 
This would be a powerful tool for our law enforcement community and will help keep Pennsylvanians safe. Protecting children in school zones should never be partisan, and I ask you to join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.