Community Corner
Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones Supports Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Speaker Pro Tem Supports Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Drivers Are Encouraged to Watch Out For Children
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Randallstown, MD. (August 23, 2013) – Parents and students from the Randallstown area were in attendance at the Randallstown Elementary School as Speaker Pro Tem Delegate Adrienne Jones took part in the Maryland Highway Administration’s Pedestrian Safety Campaign. Also lending support were Larry Kilmovitz, Executive Director of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson, Ragina Averlla of AAA Mid Atlantic, and members the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore County Public School’s administration.
The Randallstown Elementary School is located in the 10th Legislative District, which Del. Jones represents, and she also lives in the neighborhood near the school. She said that she has witnessed drivers passing school buses that are stopped with their red lights flashing as students are boarding.
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“This is a very dangerous practice, and one of the many traffic violations that drivers should be aware of as we get ready to open our schools,” Del. Jones said. “Young people are sometimes seen darting between parked cars, crossing the streets in unmarked areas, or walking where sidewalks do not exist. Drivers need to take extra care and pay special attention at all times, but especially during school hours.”
A county traffic study shows that there are more than two thousand automobile crashes in which more than one thousand people are injuried in Baltimore County. The same study noted that of those injuried, eleven were fatalities.
In addition to being aware of pedestrians walking along the Liberty Road Corridor, other safety hazards drivers should be aware of are construction areas where State Highway workers are attempting to improve the county’s sidewalks and roads, and srubs and trees that prevent motorists from seeing those walking along the sidewalk.
In the future, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and AAA Mid Atlantic will launch programs that will encourage driver awareness and safety as we begin the 2013 school year.