The school year is coming to a close. Beaches are opening up, and the Orioles are deep into their season. Summer has come, and people are travelling both locally and out of town. With this influx of traffic, this means that drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians have to be more vigilant about making safety rules and practices a priority.
Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) and the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office (MDOT MVA MHSO) work with Baltimore Region partners to raise awareness of traffic safety measures and practices to keep the Baltimore regional community safe from traffic injuries and deaths, using campaigns like Look Alive and the Local Safety campaign.
According to Baltimore Region Crash and Fatality data in 2024, there were more than 1300 pedestrian crashes throughout the Baltimore Region, including 51 fatalities. While this is a drop from the previous year, this accounts for more than a quarter of the total traffic related fatalities in the Baltimore Region, aligning with statewide figures. This is a staggering number when considering that pedestrian crashes amounted to only 9% of the total traffic crashes in that year.
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council and its metropolitan planning organization, the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), are combating these statistic by adopting national practices. Both the BMC and the BRTB support the US Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach to help eliminate crash injuries and fatalities. The framework of this approach involves five elements (safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users, and post-crash care) and is based on six principles as its foundation: deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive, and redundancy is crucial. This creates multiple layers of safety measures to prevent crashes or mitigate the effects of one when they occur
The Look Alive and Local Safety campaigns use this approach by raising awareness of safety protocols in a holistic way. Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike are encouraged to be mindful and practice common safety measures, tips, and laws. For pedestrians, these include using the crosswalks at intersections when crossing the street, looking both to your left and right before crossing, and avoid distractions such as cell phones when crossing the street.
Cyclists should maintain a distance of at least three feet away from parked cars, use hand signals to tell drivers of their intent, and should not ride against traffic. Protective gear such as helmets or lights during low visibility periods are essential.
For drivers, always obey the speed limits and slow down in local traffic, stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, and yield for pedestrians and cyclists when turning.
This summer, let’s be mindful of our Baltimore community and help create a safer place to travel for those both on foot and on wheels!