More Death and Injuries on So. Md Roads

[newsBot]

This just in from the somd.com Headline News:

Title: More Death and Injuries on So. Md Roads

Date: 03-25-2017 12:10 PM

Summary: St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Investigating Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision; CCSO Investigating Single Vehicle Crash on Edge Hill Road.

Click here for the full story...

 

[3CATSAILOR]

This just in from the somd.com Headline News:

Title: More Death and Injuries on So. Md Roads

Date: 03-25-2017 12:10 PM

Summary: St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Investigating Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision; CCSO Investigating Single Vehicle Crash on Edge Hill Road.

Click here for the full story...

And the carnage will likely continue to get worse. You will notice the following has occurred over the last several years: 1) Traffic enforcement is reduced from what it once was. 2) The County Highway Safety Committee that involved law enforcement, other emergency services and others groups has been eliminated by the County Commissioners. Supposedly, there is a Regional Highway Safety Committee that is supposed to provide highway safety funding to this and other Southern Maryland Counties. Okay, that's fine. Where is it? What are they doing with it? Are they using all of it on education and seat belt checks? Meanwhile, our citizens have family members that die on our roads. If we have funding in Southern Maryland, and that is "IF", then why do we see more and more death and destruction on our roads? If accidents and fatalities increase it seems to me that how they prioritize the funding is not working out very well. How many more deaths will it take before they learn. I asked for the Commissioners to bring back the County Highway Safety Committee. They refused. You are now seeing the result of this and decreased enforcement. For example, distracted driving. Police can enforce cell phone use while driving. They choose not to. Perhaps they have their reason. I have no idea what it is. But, what I do know is that people that are distracted run off the road and die. Therefore, shouldn't they be concerned about at least trying to preserve life? I would hope so. But, do you see it? Lets try enforcement during the afternoon from 2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 from Gate 2 to Route 2 and 4 during the work week. When has the last time you have seen traffic enforcement during "2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 in this area during the work week? I suspect many of you will say either never or not very often.

 

[officeguy]

I dont think a highway safety committee would have made a lick of difference for the young man who wrecked on Loveville Rd at bar closing time.

 

[Hijinx]

And the carnage will likely continue to get worse. You will notice the following has occurred over the last several years: 1) Traffic enforcement is reduced from what it once was. 2) The County Highway Safety Committee that involved law enforcement, other emergency services and others groups has been eliminated by the County Commissioners. Supposedly, there is a Regional Highway Safety Committee that is supposed to provide highway safety funding to this and other Southern Maryland Counties. Okay, that's fine. Where is it? What are they doing with it? Are they using all of it on education and seat belt checks? Meanwhile, our citizens have family members that die on our roads. If we have funding in Southern Maryland, and that is "IF", then why do we see more and more death and destruction on our roads? If accidents and fatalities increase it seems to me that how they prioritize the funding is not working out very well. How many more deaths will it take before they learn. I asked for the Commissioners to bring back the County Highway Safety Committee. They refused. You are now seeing the result of this and decreased enforcement. For example, distracted driving. Police can enforce cell phone use while driving. They choose not to. Perhaps they have their reason. I have no idea what it is. But, what I do know is that people that are distracted run off the road and die. Therefore, shouldn't they be concerned about at least trying to preserve life? I would hope so. But, do you see it? Lets try enforcement during the afternoon from 2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 from Gate 2 to Route 2 and 4 during the work week. When has the last time you have seen traffic enforcement during "2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 in this area during the work week? I suspect many of you will say either never or not very often.

I would think that 235 from gate 2 at that time of day is bad enough without police blocking a lane of traffic and writing tickets.

 

[officeguy]

I would think that 235 from gate 2 at that time of day is bad enough without police blocking a lane of traffic and writing tickets.

Its not like people are dropping like the flies on that stretch of highway during the evening commute. The bad wrecks are at cross-overs and lights along 235 and on all the two lane roads at night.

 

[glhs837]

Oddly enough, I saw two officers running speed enforcement this morning on Rt 235 between Gate 1 and WaWa. Great for generating citation numbers, but IMO of very little use when it comes to actually reducing the amount of crashes. Pretty sure that speed caused crashes on that stretch between 0900 and 1100 on Sunday morning is pretty freaking low. But it is a great time for having officers free with no other duties rack up some citations. And easy to do the fish in a barrel thing, since people know it's perfectly safe to run that stretch at more than 10 over.

This is the enforcement you get when the purpose is to make look good numbers, not deter unsafe behaviors. Maybe the Sheriff said screw it once he couldnt get his cameras approved? We know whats causing crashes, and enforcing those shouldn't be too hard. I'm fine with far fewer citations being issued as long as what they are issued for is things like distracted driving, failure to yield, unsafe lane changes.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

And the carnage will likely continue to get worse. You will notice the following has occurred over the last several years: 1) Traffic enforcement is reduced from what it once was. 2) The County Highway Safety Committee that involved law enforcement, other emergency services and others groups has been eliminated by the County Commissioners. Supposedly, there is a Regional Highway Safety Committee that is supposed to provide highway safety funding to this and other Southern Maryland Counties. Okay, that's fine. Where is it? What are they doing with it? Are they using all of it on education and seat belt checks? Meanwhile, our citizens have family members that die on our roads. If we have funding in Southern Maryland, and that is "IF", then why do we see more and more death and destruction on our roads? If accidents and fatalities increase it seems to me that how they prioritize the funding is not working out very well. How many more deaths will it take before they learn. I asked for the Commissioners to bring back the County Highway Safety Committee. They refused. You are now seeing the result of this and decreased enforcement. For example, distracted driving. Police can enforce cell phone use while driving. They choose not to. Perhaps they have their reason. I have no idea what it is. But, what I do know is that people that are distracted run off the road and die. Therefore, shouldn't they be concerned about at least trying to preserve life? I would hope so. But, do you see it? Lets try enforcement during the afternoon from 2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 from Gate 2 to Route 2 and 4 during the work week. When has the last time you have seen traffic enforcement during "2:00PM to 7:00PM on Route 235 in this area during the work week? I suspect many of you will say either never or not very often.

Why do you have a problem with funeral homes, casket makers, embalmers and grave diggers? Without these drivers, their business would suffer. The unexpected influx of fresh bodies is the cornerstone of their economic model. Aren't you pro-business? Many are small business owners. What do you have against the local mom and pop's? Hummmmmmmmmm?