• The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code governs traffic laws in the commonwealth.highway image by Ekaterina Sidorenko from Fotolia.com
  
  Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Code, also known as the Vehicle Code, governs traffic laws in the commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has jurisdiction over all highway issues, and the Pennsylvania State Police, city, local and campus police departments enforce driving laws.
  
  

Drunk and Drugged Driving

• Pennsylvania lowered its legal blood alcohol content (BAC) from .10 to .08 on September 30, 2003. The law also established a tier system, effective February 1, 2004, for penalties based on BAC level, whether the driver had an accident and number of prior offenses. The law provides progressively stiffer penalties for the three tiers and number of prior convictions. The tiers are general impairment (.08-.099), high BAC (.1-.159) and highest BAC (.16 and higher). Possible penalties include fines ranging from $300 to $10,000, license suspension, treatment under the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program, probation, attendance at victim impact panels, house arrest, use of ignition interlock devices and prison sentences ranging from two days to five years. The law does not call for a license suspension for a first offense at the lowest tier.
  
  Pennsylvania also has a zero-tolerance policy for certain drivers. The BAC limit for anyone under 21 is .02 and the limit for commercial drivers is .04. Pennsylvania considers drivers to be impaired if they are under the influence of any illegal drug.
  
  

Moving Violations

• Pennsylvania's other traffic violations count as summary offenses, punishable by a fine. The Vehicle Code specifies fines for some moving violations. Any violation not specifically addressed in the code carries a $25 fine. The state law provides enhanced penalties for speeding in active construction zones and school zones. The law doubles fines for speeding in construction zones and higher-than-normal fines for speeding in school zones.
  
  

Point System

• The commonwealth uses a point system for moving violations. PennDOT applies two to five points for certain violations. Drivers who accumulate six points must take a written driver safety exam. PennDOT holds a hearing if a driver accumulates six points a second time, and may suspend the driver's license for 15 days and require the driver to take the exam again. PennDOT holds another hearing for drivers who accumulate six points a third time and could suspend the driver's license for 30 days. Drivers who accumulate 11 points face a license suspension for a period of time based on number of points and prior suspensions. Finally, any driver who exceeds the speed limit by 31 miles per hour or more also faces a PennDOT hearing and may get a 15-day license suspension and an on-road driving exam.
  
  

Other Provisions

• Drivers in Pennsylvania must renew their licenses every four years and notify PennDOT of address changes within 15 days. Vehicle owners must annually have an inspection from a certified mechanic. Unlike most states, Pennsylvania only requires a license plate on the rear bumper of passenger vehicles.
  
  

Courts

• In most counties, magisterial district judges handle traffic citations, but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have dedicated traffic courts to handle moving violations. Drivers who receive a citation may plead guilty and pay the fine or challenge the citation in court.