Dear Citizens:
In Harford County, we are enjoying an all-time low in our Crime Rate. According to the Uniform Crime Report for Maryland, Harford County has the 2nd lowest crime rate in the state last year. But, during that same time, we had the fifth HIGHEST rate for crash fatalities.
And so, you ask, what can we do about it?
Harford County has grown tremendously the last few years, causing a significant increase in traffic on our roadways. With the addition of BRAC, we have both residents and commuters from other counties and states. Everyone’s hectic schedule coupled with the tremendous strain on our roadways has made a very hazardous situation for our county.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement agencies within the county are committed to improving traffic safety on our roadways. The Harford County Traffic Task Force was formed approximately two years ago and is comprised of officers from each agency within the county- the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack, Maryland State Police JFK Barrack, Aberdeen PD, Bel Air PD, and Havre de Grace PD. The Traffic Task Force works one day a week in one jurisdiction, rotating weekly.
Additionally, last year, the Harford County Council, by resolution, created the Harford County Traffic Safety Task Force. Representatives of each law enforcement agency (Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police – Bel Air and JFK Barracks, and the Police Departments of Aberdeen, Bel Air, and Havre de Grace), along with representatives from Harford County government, community organizations, and community members studied Harford County’s Traffic Safety Issues and recently released its final report to the Council.
Speeding and distracted driving is expensive. Nationally, motor vehicle crashes cost taxpayers $250 billion annually. In 2012, there were 5,708 reported crashes on Harford County roadways. There were 22 fatalities on our roadways in 2012. This year, January 1-May 31, there have been 3,114 reported crashes and 10 fatalities on our roadways. In 2012, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office issued 41,579 citations and warnings. We are out there every day enforcing the motor vehicle laws. Between January and June of this year, 85 community members asked us to set up RADAR. In fact, most of the time you see us; we are responding the request of a concerned citizen.
As you can see, Harford County is being proactive in making our roadways safer. The goals of the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO), and Harford County Strategic Highway Safety Plans are all focusing on zero traffic deaths by 2030.
Now, we need your support. That support comes in two forms – paying attention to your driving habits and being a good role model. New drivers mimic the driving behaviors of their parents. Make speeding and distracted driving unacceptable. It is easy to forget that when you operate a motor vehicle, you are behind the wheel operating a potential 2-ton weapon.
We can only do so much. It is time to change bad driving habits and encourage others to do the same. Leave a little earlier, ignore the cell phone, and focus on operating the vehicle safely. Make a commitment to yourself, your family, loved ones, or friends. The life you save may be yours or that of a loved one.
Respectfully,
Sheriff L. Jesse Bane
and
Sgt. R. Michael Lane
Harford County Sheriff’s Office
Traffic/K9 Teams
We have a lot of growth in the county with BRAC. But the the State sends all the highway dollars to other counties….Wonder why?
I totally agree that we all have to look to ourselves first to solve this problem.
But in no way can County government wash their hands of it. Ultimately, humans cannot stop being human, and we have to action rationally in order to protect us from ourselves.
The best way County government could do that now, I think, is to seriously review our development and growth policies, which have caused far too many failing roads, intersections, and highways because of increased traffic.
Right now we are trading tax revenue for lives and increased insurance and health care costs.
How about Harford county automobile drivers slow down? The whole “me first” complex really shows everyday… Here are some daily examples of a typical drive through Harford during business hours, tailgating, light turns red; cars still going through, excessive speeding everywhere.
Slow the hell down.
Where I am going is more important than where you are going. Speed limits and traffic laws don’t apply to me because I am more important than you and what I am doing is way more important than what your are doing. And my cell phone conversation has to happen right now.
So shut up and move over and let this important person get by. In fact there is no good reason for you to even be on the road when this important person wants to use it.
Let’s not forget those who pull out in front of you and never get up to speed.
anytime I see somebody pulled over for speeding it’s either State Police or, in town limits, Bel Air, PD. Have seen fewer and fewer HCSD pulling over speeders. I just took a 10 mi bike hike from Bel Air to Joppa yesterday. Used all “back” roads – W. Ring Factory, Old Joppa, Hollingsworth, Stockton, Clayton – there are no “not busy” roads in Harford anymore. Although I encountered tons of traffic, the only PD on patrol I encountered was crossing Rt 24 near the UC Hospital. No other cops on patrol in 2 hours on the bike trip.
Some of the drivers around here can be the biggest morons. People have passed me on double yellow, shoulder and appropriate passing zones only for me to stop behind them at the traffic light a minute or two ahead. Big hurry to get nowhere.
The word “yield” in traffic circles doesn’t mean much to most, and some decode the use of a merge lane means put your turn signal on at the last second and then decide to merge.
NJ/BRAC drivers trying to figure out traffic circles always leads to hilarity. In NJ, circles can require the traffic in the circle yield to incoming traffic, or they can be normal circles where incoming traffic must yield to existing traffic. Sometimes they forgot Maryland is 100% the latter and will slam on their brakes to let a car in, or they’ll just blow the yield sign and expect you to stop.
Oh so you are one of those bike riders who loves to ride on back roads on the white line! Guess what? You are not a car. And your insistance to hog a lane on roads with blind hills and curves is idiotic.
And legal!
On the *white* line? You mean, the white line on the side of the road? Where exactly would like a bike to be instead that is more out of your way? The garage?
Yes. Avoid roads where you single handily create a hazard for yourself and every car on the road. Stick to roads that actually have a shoulder. Again, YOU ARE NOT A CAR!!!!
If you’re on a back road w/ a narrow shoulder be courteous to the bike rider who has as much legal right to the road as you do. Pass the bike rider when you have clear visibility ahead…it might take a minute if you just happen to come up on a bike where there might be foliage or along a turn. What in the world is wrong with people that you can’t wait a minute for somebody anymore.
Has it ever occurred to you that bikers do avoid those roads? Next time you are out try observing just how many roads in Harford County have a suitable shoulder for biking, as you suggest– and when you do notice one, notice also the traffic on that road and ask yourself if you’d want to ride a bike there?
What you are frustrated about is a county planning problem, because there are almost no places “suitable” for people to ride bikes in Harford County.
Until that gets sorted out, you’ll have to be content with the fact that YOU ARE NOT A KING/QUEEN, and you’ll have to share the road.
Help may be on the way. The last transportation funding bill (Map-2) included set aside funds for bike lanes. There is a master plan that includes bike trails on the county web site just for that purpose and let’s hope they follow up and put something in place. The money is there it’s up to Harford County to make it happen.
Last time I checked bikes and pedestrians have the right to be on the road as well.
While talking on their handheld cell phone.
Generally they are handheld these days. The days of the backpack cell phones has since passed.
Actually most are hands free now.
Welcome to 2008….
Hands free is a function. Technically the phone itself is handheld.
Except manufacturers have basically ruined the speakerphone feature on most phones these days. The iPhone’s the worst offender, whenever I use one, it seems that you have to hold it 6″ from your face to both hear the person and be heard, so what’s the point of using the feature vs holding it to your face? I guess it keeps sweat off the screen, but its otherwise useless, unless you count showing everyone you have an iPhone as a feature.
My earlier cellphones could be put in the middle of a table and used for an impromptu telecon with 3 coworkers at a job site, today we each have to call in individually or get in a truck that has a bluetooth speakerphone integrated into the stereo.
I’m referencing people holding their cell phones up to their ear with their hand blabbing away and sometimes even waving their other hand for emphasis. Yes their is hands free. I have one. I use it via Bluetooth. Too bad not everyone obeys the law.
Traffic is a big issue, and was way before BRAC. If anything, BRAC slows people down due to the higher concentration of vehicles going the same way… And that is only temporary congestion on otherwise low traffic roads throughout the rest of the day. 22, 7, 543, 136…. All these roads are comfortable to drive any other time other than when the majority of everyone is going to and from work in the mornings and evenings.
Harford county is like Mayberry if you drive it at 3am.
Maybe we need cars like in the Hollywood film ‘Demolition man’ that drive themselves automatically. Have a joy joy day fellow citizens!!
Your description of the traffic problem is pretty accurate. I have asked state highway officials about trying to develop middle lanes that can be redirected in opposite directions depending on the commute– 2 lanes south, 1 north in the morning, 2 lanes north, 1 south in the evening… they seem mystified.
Something like that would solve the BRAC commute issue but they chose instead to buy all the houses along the Aberdeen Thruway, and widen the entire thing. It of course means the difference between costing thousands or millions and they chose millions.
Noble, You are wasting your time talking to state highway officials. There is a saying that accurately describes them. “When the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, every problem must be made to look like a nail.”
The bicyclists on 22 in the evenings really add to the congestion. It seems like whenever I get stuck on that road, its because everyone is passing a woman in pink spandex with a pony tail at 25mph so they can get a better look.
At least APG’s furlough has made the road a lot less congested during normal rush hour.
You are imagining things. The furlough days are an alternating Friday and a following Monday. Unlikely you are experiencing reduced traffic on anything but those days
From what I understand and have heard about the furlough, everyone at APG is only working 8 hour days, vs the “compressed work schedule” they had before where they could work 9 or 10 hour days, so most APG employees are going home at 3-4pm instead of 5-6pm since they’re still going in at 7-8am. That puts a lot of traffic on the road two hours earlier, but greatly reduces it when everyone else is trying to get home.
Yeah Federal employees probably producing 10 hours of productivity a week versus the normal 12 hours a week….
Accidents happen for 2 reasons mechanical failure and bad drivers.
If the county is handing out over 40,000 tickets a year and it’s still this bad it’s time to double down. I can think of 4 intersections and roadways that on a daily basis alone could account for over 100 tickets each per day and I’m sure everyone else can too. It’s not the peoples fault Jesse you need to take action because the numbers speak for themselves.
Violent Crime increased during Jesse Bane’s first term as sheriff. Combined rapes & murders were up 49% during Jesse Bane’s first term as sheriff. The Sheriff’s operating budget increased 42% or $18.5 million from $44.1 million in FY 2006 to $62.6 million in FY 2010. Things just don’t add up under Jesse Bane…..
References – Maryland Crime Stats, Harford County Audited Financial Statements
No relation to R. Michael Lane who signed the letter. Jesse needs to get his head out of his ass and put the deputies out on the road instead of behind desks. He also needs to retire so morale at the agency will again start to rise from where it has now plummeted. Quit playing favorites and start policing.
Lenny glad you said you are not related to Mike as he is a tool along with his wife. This is none other then a pr announcement from Lionel Jesse Bane. Chuck Moore from MSP is the person that recommended the traffic taskforce but Sheriff Bane tried to take credit. @ Just the facts good info.
Just another example of ol Jesse taking credit for someone elses hard work Who is “Mike” and why are him and his wife both tools? is he one of Jesses boys with a primo assignment?
Watched yet another “saturation” patrol on 155 in Havre de Grace involving MD State, HDG police and sheriffs office. Police stopping every car going 2 miles over the limit, Also checking every car at a stop light and writing people for seatbelt tickets. Mean While in Edgewood 200 grams of crack were sold in ten minutes, 2 armed robberies and 4 stolen vehicles. What a waste of money and manpower.
As long as what happens in edgewood stays in edgewood that’s a whole different issue.
Bad drivers are just around the next curve in the road waiting to cross the line and kill you. There is zero possibility I could be the victim of a crime in edgewood.
Yea because of course no drug runners EVER drive on 95
Overly cautious attention to traffic laws is considered suspicious behavior indicative of drug trafficking.
what about the police that think traffic laws don’t apply to them? Nice that people are getting tickets, but have you ever seen a cop do the speed limit. Oh and the cell phone, they talk on it all the time. why even have radios in the car…….don’t give me the bull that its police business….yeah ok
I would love to see a website of citizens posting videos of local police Speeding without their lights on, talking on their cell phones, and texting while driving. Bunch of clowns think they are above the law.
I just want to know how they could afford their phone plans before carriers offered unlimited minutes.