Important Information Regarding Act 37 of 2006

Act 37 of 2006, enacted by the General Assembly in April 2006 and effective July 2006, changed various sections of The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code (Title 75) including provisions for restoring a suspended driver’s license, passing and overtaking streetcars and penalties for snow and ice dislodging from moving vehicles. The following list outlines components of the act and changes that impact citizens.

Period of Disqualification, Revocation or Suspension of Operating Privileges (Section 1541) - The Act, referring to payment of all court-imposed fines and costs as well as fees to be paid to the treatment program by the defendant, added the statement that for the purposes of restoring a suspended driver’s license, being current on a payment plan shall be considered as a part of a successfully completed program.
Passing and Overtaking Streetcars (Section 3315) - Amended to direct that a driver of a vehicle may not overtake and pass to the left of a streetcar proceeding in the same direction, whether the streetcar is actually in motion or temporarily halted to receive or discharge passengers if overtaking or passing requires driving in a lane normally used by traffic moving in the opposite direction. Also, the driver of a vehicle may not overtake or pass a streetcar, which has stopped to receive or discharge passengers on the side on which passengers board or alight until the doors of the streetcar are closed and passengers who are discharged have reached the side of the highway. The section is not applicable to locations where streetcars are operating on tracks located within a median section of the roadway separated from the roadway by curbs or other physical barriers.
Snow or Ice Dislodged or Falling From a Moving Vehicle (Section 3720) - Added a provision that when snow or ice is dislodged or falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing death or serious bodily injury as defined in Section 3742 (relating to accidents involving death or serious bodily injury), the operator of the vehicle from which the snow or ice is dislodged or falls shall be subject to a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $1,000 for each offense.