Waldorf, Md. (April 22, 2019) – The Maryland
Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) and sheriff’s
offices from St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties today announced a partnership
focused on enhancing driver safety.
“More
than 120 unbelted drivers and passengers are killed every year in Maryland”
said Chrissy Nizer, MDOT MVA Administrator and Governor Hogan’s Highway Safety
Representative. “Not being belted can cause passengers to become projectiles in
the event of a crash, causing serious injuries or death to other people in the
car. To ensure you arrive at your destination safely, everyone in a vehicle
should buckle up, and drivers should park the phone, day and night.”
“BUCKLE UP. PHONE DOWN.” combines
sustained education and enforcement to encourage motorists to always wear seat
belts and park cellphones. Failure to wear a seat belt and distracted driving
are among the primary causes of injuries and fatalities on Maryland roads. Between
2013 and 2017, more than 16,000 crashes in the three southern counties involved
unbelted motorists and/or distracted drivers.
“Buckling
a seat belt takes three seconds and is your best defense in the event of a
crash,” said Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
“Sadly,
many people are driving with a cellphone in their hand, and people are losing
their lives because of this irresponsible and illegal action,” said St. Mary’s
County Sheriff Tim Cameron.
The
“BUCKLE UP. PHONE DOWN.” campaign includes
week-long enforcement and education initiatives through August. During the enforcement
waves, information on the dangers of unbelted and distracted driving will be
conveyed via billboards, digital and social media, as well as additional outreach.
“Our deputies
will be out enforcing Maryland’s distracted driving and seat belt laws because
those laws save lives,” said Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans.
Drivers are also
reminded to move over if safe to do so or slow down when approaching a stopped
emergency vehicle using emergency signals.
Learn more about the Highway Safety Office’s Toward Zero Deaths campaign at towardzerodeathsmd.com, on Facebook at TowardZeroDeathsMD, on Twitter at @tzd_maryland and on Instagram at twdzerodeaths_md.
UPDATE:
The first wave of the initiative took place on May 3rd in the area of Route 234 and Route 238, as well as Route 4 in the area of the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge and yielded over 30 citations. Two events will be held each month at intersections throughout St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles County. The initiative is scheduled to be active through August of 2019.
