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Keystone welcomes Janine Becker as new Dean of Enrollment

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Recent AAA studies find that 87 percent of drivers report engaging in risky behaviors while behind the wheel and aren&#8217;t aware of how long those distractions last.</p><p>With April designated as &#8220;Distracted Driving Awareness Month,&#8221; AAA Mid-Atlantic released a study earlier this year that shows a majority of drivers are driving distracted and are unaware of how long these distractions linger.</p><p>&#8220;Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. This is a recipe for a crash, and that&#8217;s a scary thought,&#8221; said Jana L. Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. &#8220;Your life and the lives of others you share the road with depend on and deserve your full attention. Put the phone down.&#8221;</p><p>According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 3,179 people were killed &#8212; 10 percent of all crash fatalities &#8212; and an additional 431,000 were injured &#8212; 18 percent of all crash injuries &#8212; in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2014.</p><p>The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports:</p><p>&#8226; 87 percent of drivers admit to risky behaviors behind the wheel, including distracted driving.</p><p>&#8226; 2 in 3 drivers admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving.</p><p>&#8226; 2 in 5 drivers said they have read a text message or email while driving.</p><p>&#8226; 1 in 3 admit to typing or sending a text or email while driving.</p><p>Pennsylvania&#8217;s law against texting while driving took effect March 8, 2012. According to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, between the time the law took effect through 2014, more than 3,940 tickets for texting while driving have been issued statewide.</p><p>This law supersedes and preempts any local ordinances restricting the use of interactive wireless devices by drivers. More than 1,300 drivers received tickets during the first year of the state&#8217;s ban on texting.</p><p>There are several bills proposed in the state House and Senate to toughen Pennsylvania&#8217;s laws on distracted driving that are expected to be considered this year.</p><p>In a recent AAA Mid-Atlantic poll, nearly 71 percent of Pennsylvania motorists believe a driver&#8217;s brain is only distracted for up to 10 seconds when completing an in-vehicle task like tuning the radio or dialing a phone while driving. However, the AAA foundation for Traffic Safety reports unsafe mental distractions can persist for as long as 27 seconds after dialing, changing music or sending a text using voice commands. At the 25 MPH speed limit used in the study, drivers traveled the length of nearly three football fields during this time.</p><p>&#8220;While most drivers (90 percent) in Pennsylvania believe other drivers are very distracted or somewhat distracted when using either a hand-held phone or a hands-free device to talk or text, 37 percent of those same drivers admit to using a voice-activated technology to make a phone call, send a text message or change radio stations while driving,&#8221; notes Tidwell. &#8220;They know the dangers of distracted driving, but continue to do so anyway.&#8221;</p><p>Using a cell phone while driving to text, call or check email isn&#8217;t the only distraction drivers face while in the car. Other distractions include:</p><p>&#8226; Eating and drinking</p><p>&#8226; Talking to passengers</p><p>&#8226; Using a navigation system</p><p>&#8226; Adjusting the radio, CD player, MP3 player</p><p>&#8226; Grooming</p><p><strong>Tips for safe driving</strong></p><p>As a general rule, AAA says if you cannot devote your full attention to driving because of some other activity, it&#8217;s a distraction. The organization suggests you take care of other activities before or after your trip, not while you&#8217;re behind the wheel.</p><p>Other tips include:</p><p>&#8226; Store loose gear, possessions or other distractions that could roll around in the car so you don&#8217;t feel tempted to reach for them on the floor or the seat.</p><p>&#8226; Put aside your electronic devices.</p><p>&#8226; Do not use cell phones while driving &#8212; hand-held or hands-free &#8212; except in absolute emergencies.</p><p>&#8226; Make vehicle adjustments before you begin your trip &#8212; address vehicle systems like GPS, seats, mirrors, climate controls and sound systems &#8212; before hitting the road.</p><p>AAA Mid-Atlantic serves more than 80,000 members in the Wilkes-Barre region and nearly 4 million members in New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia with personal insurance, financial, automotive and travel services through more than 60 retail branches, Car Care Insurance Travel Centers, regional operations centers and the Internet, at AAA.com.</p><p><strong>Online sign-up available for Kaufer&#8217;s</strong></p><p><strong>concealed carry seminar on </strong><strong>April 7</strong></p><p>HARRISBURG &#8212; Those interested in learning more about Pennsylvania&#8217;s concealed carry laws and the Castle Doctrine are invited to attend Rep. Aaron Kaufer&#8217;s (R-Luzerne) Concealed Carry Seminar at 6 p.m. on April 7 at the West Wyoming Hose Company, 933 Shoemaker Ave.</p><p>Seating is limited. To register, visit RepKaufer.com and click on the graphic titled &#8220;Register for my Concealed Carry Seminar&#8221; or call Kaufer&#8217;s office at 570-283-1001.</p><p>The event will feature Luzerne County officials, including District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Sheriff Brian Szumski. Information about how recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions affect the Second Amendment rights of citizens will also be discussed.</p><p>Residents of the 120th District are invited to attend, and there is no fee to participate. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Residents must be at least 21 years old to obtain a concealed carry permit in Pennsylvania.</p><p><strong>PA Ag Secretary: Despite fewer HPAI</strong></p><p><strong>cases, biosecurity measures still needed</strong></p><p>HARRISBURG &#8212; Despite the lack of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding reminds Pennsylvania&#8217;s poultry producers, including those with backyard flocks, of the need to remain vigilant and practice good biosecurity measures.</p><p>Having sound biosecurity protections in place is the best preventive measure producers can take to protect the state&#8217;s $13 billion poultry industry.</p><p>Redding said there are not any cases of HPAI in the commonwealth and, so far in 2016, only one case has been confirmed in the U.S. The case occurred in January when the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service confirmed the virus was found in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana.</p><p>&#8220;While we have been spared the devastation of this virus to date, we realize the threat of the HPAI virus remains real,&#8221; Redding said. &#8220;With the weather getting warmer, our risks of being affected decreases, but that does not mean that we should halt our efforts to safeguard our state. We have a responsibility to our industry and our residents. Poultry producers &#8212; and those in the allied industries &#8212; should always ensure they make good biosecurity practices part of their daily routine to protect our poultry industry.&#8221;</p><p>Anyone who owns or works with poultry, whether on a commercial farm or at a hobby farm, should follow best biosecurity practices such as:</p><p>&#8226; Keeping all areas around flocks clean.</p><p>&#8226; Ensuring new birds added to a flock are free of any signs of disease.</p><p>&#8226; Observing flocks for warning signs of infectious bird diseases.</p><p>&#8226; Reporting signs of sick birds immediately.</p><p>In addition, all premises throughout the state with livestock or poultry are encouraged to complete the premise identification registration through the department&#8217;s Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services. To register a premise, complete the form online at www.agriculture.pa.gov by clicking on &#8220;Premises Registration Form&#8221; under the Avian Influenza section, or call 717.772.2852.</p><p>&#8220;Before purchasing chicks or ducklings, individuals looking to start a backyard flock should check with their local municipality office to ensure their zoning regulations allow for livestock and poultry within the premises,&#8221; Redding added.</p><p>Redding also addressed the ongoing ban of poultry at local fairs, put into place in May 2015. He said the department continues to monitor the situation nationally and assess the risks to Pennsylvania poultry industry, while consulting with the veterinarians and federal partners. That assessment will guide the department&#8217;s decision on whether to lift the suspension for the 2016 state-approved agricultural fairs and the 2017 Pennsylvania Farm Show.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Redding </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Russell-Redding.jpg</photo0><caption0>Redding </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Kaufer.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kaufer </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Kaufer.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kaufer </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Jana-Tidwell-AAA.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tidwell </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Jana-Tidwell-AAA.jpg</photo2><caption2>Tidwell </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

AAA Mid-Atlantic: Distracted Driving Awareness Month highlights continuous problem on the roads