From the Office of the Governor of Maryland:
Governor Larry Hogan today announced over $12.5 million in federal highway safety funds granted to more than 80 agencies and organizations across Maryland to help strengthen and expand the state’s efforts to save lives on Maryland roads. The funds will be distributed by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office to law enforcement agencies and traffic safety advocates throughout Maryland.
“The safety and security of Marylanders is our top priority and this vital funding will help strengthen our efforts to reduce traffic fatalities and save lives,” said Governor Hogan. “Dangerous, impaired, and distracted driving puts everyone at risk, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure safety on our roads.”
The federal grants will help fund the following traffic-safety efforts:
– Preventing impaired, aggressive, and distracted driving
– Increasing the use of seat belts
– Increasing motorcyclist, pedestrian, and bicyclist safety efforts
– Funding child passenger safety fitting stations
– Funding traffic safety-related law enforcement operations
– Improving Maryland’s traffic data systems
To help reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries across the state, Maryland is implementing a five-year plan known as the Maryland Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The plan brings together local, state, and federal partners and organizations such as the National Safety Council, AAA, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and numerous other corporate, non-profit, and public sector partners. The SHSP contains more than 30 separate strategies to reduce overall roadway fatalities by at least 50 percent in the next two decades. The Plan emphasizes solutions from the “Four Es” of highway safety – Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Medical Services.
“Our mission is to do everything in our power to eliminate traffic crashes,” said Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn. “Zero crashes, zero injuries and zero fatalities is our ultimate goal.”
The federal grant awards can only be used for traffic safety activities and are allocated based on crash data for each county and/or organization that applied for funding. Funds can only be spent during Federal Fiscal Year 2017 (October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017). A breakdown of the amounts granted to more than 80 partners across the state is as follows:
Aberdeen Police Department – $7,000.00
Allegany County Sheriff’s Office – $9,300.00
Annapolis Police Department – $42,000.00
Anne Arundel County Council of PTAs – $11,000.00
Anne Arundel County Department of Health – $15,325.00
Anne Arundel County Police Department – $94,000.00
Baltimore City Police Department – $70,000.00
Baltimore County Department of Health – $12,000.00
Baltimore County Police Department – $319,914.00
Bel Air Police Department – $7,000.00
Berlin Police Department – $2,860.00
Bike Maryland, Inc. – $82,280.00
Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse – $5,720.00
Calvert County Sheriff’s Office – $34,750.00
Cambridge Police Department – $7,500.00
Caroline County Sheriff’s Office – $20,000.00
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office – $15,000.00
Cecil County Sheriff’s Office – $14,000.00
Charles County Sheriff’s Office – $64,750.00
Chesapeake Region Safety Council – $277,530.00
Cheverly Police Department – $7,400.00
Chevy Chase Village Police Department – $2,000.00
City of Bowie Police Department – $5,000.00
Cumberland Police Department – $3,950.00
Easton Police Department – $18,000.00
Elkton Police Department – $14,000.00
Every 15 Minutes/Sykesville Freedom – $4,200.00
Frederick Police Department – $33,750.00
Frostburg State University Police – $2,250.00
Gaithersburg Police Department – $25,000.00
Greenbelt Police Department – $37,500.00
Hagerstown Police Department – $12,500.00
Hampstead Police Department – $3,500.00
Harford County DUI Court – $57,150.00
Harford County Sheriff’s Office – $118,250.00
Havre de Grace Police Department – $3,000.00
Howard County Police Department – $74,500.00
Hyattsville Police Department – $3,800.00
Kent County Sheriff’s Office – $6,000.00
Laurel Police Department – $21,000.00
Manchester Police Department – $1,000.00
Maryland Chiefs of Police Association – $142,230.00
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – $232,411.60
Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems – $62,545.50
Maryland Judiciary – Anne Arundel County DUI Court – $70,875.00
Maryland Judiciary – Howard County DUI Court – $56,070.00
Maryland Municipal League PEA – $4,500.00
Maryland National Capital Park Police – Montgomery – $5,500.00
Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions – $38,414.58
Maryland Sheriffs Association – $39,660.00
Maryland State Police – $3,188,751.60
Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association – $349,069.20
Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department – $101,950.00
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments – $250,000.00
Montgomery County Police Department – $235,000.00
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – $9,000.00
Mothers Against Drunk Driving – $37,645.11
New Carrollton Police Department – $2,000.00
Ocean City Police Department – $38,525.00
Prince George’s County Police Department – $230,725.00
Princess Anne Police Department – $4,750.00
Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office – $9,000.00
Riverdale Park Police Department – $2,800.00
Rockville Police Department – $21,000.00
Safe Kids Frederick County – $21,285.00
Salisbury Police Department – $23,715.00
Somerset County Sheriff’s Office – $1,250.00
St. Mary’s County Circuit Court – $43,505.00
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office – $37,475.00
Statewide Motorcycle Safety – $28,534.40
Statewide Seatbelt Surveys – $23,640.00
Statewide Teen Driver Safety Program – $28,534.00
Statewide Traffic Safety Initiatives – $3,847,709.00
Sykesville Police Department – $3,500.00
Talbot County Sheriff’s Office – $4,500.00
Taneytown Police Department – $3,500.00
Town of La Plata Police – $11,000.00
University of Maryland at Baltimore, Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System – $599,472.69
University of Maryland at College Park Police Department – $25,200.00
University Park Police Department – $1,800.00
Washington College GIS Data Analysis – $354,441.55
Washington County Sheriff’s Office – $20,000.00
Washington Regional Alcohol Program – $774,813.00
Westminister Police Department – $7,750.00
Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office – $7,910.00
Worcester County Health Department – $2,000.00
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office – $8,390.00
Total – $12,578,026.23
The first thing they should do with this money is to properly train the police and county employees about distracted driving, proper traffic control/flagging operation, and the use of safety apparel when in the roadway. How many times do you see the driver of a police car on a cell phone? It’s not always business because the driver is in plain clothes or seen laughing while on the phone. I understand the need to be on the phone for police work, but they should not be immune from the same laws that apply to citizens. As far as the county employees, the police must give a professional courtesy pass to government employees. County employees are always on the phone while driving county vehicles.
When working in the road, county employees need a minimum of a class 2 reflective shirt or vest. Sometimes the police wear one while on speed enforcement, sometimes they don’t. County employees wear yellow or orange shirts and think that they are within the limits of the law. Wrong. Again, training about highway safety is in order and needs to be enforced.
Flagging operations by county employees are a joke. Do they even have a flagger training card in their possession as required? Do they use stop/slow paddles as required? The correct answer is NO. Have they ever been properly trained? Not sure, but probably not. And the so called fire police are the absolute worst at traffic control. I’m surprised that we haven’t had an injury from a fire police being struck by a vehicle.
Overpaid county employees shouldn’t be doing traffic control, there are professional companies that do this.
What good is a gold traffic vest when all these people are starring down at their phone?
These people wreck into big ass objects like tractor trailers, trees, utility poles.
Huh? WTF?
Do Harford county Sheriffs even ticket for distracted driving?
Has anyone been ticketed?
The fact that each and everyone of us see every day, distracted drivers with out a care in the world of getting caught…. makes it all too clear the sheriffs office just doesn’t care about the safety of drivers and their families in Harford county. Just yesterday I followed some asshole traveling east on 24 out of Rocks and into forest hill, Bel air that for 12 miles she barely managed to stay in her lane and on the road.
The sad part is law enforcement is being given the money and they will do nothing to actually protect the public.
I’m guessing they can spennd the whole nut on a kiosk in the middle of Harford mall dedicated to “awareness” Freakin pathetic.
They should use the money to catch soul crusher growing weed behind his house.
Why would they use highway safety grants for a weed grow?
Oh because you are a clueless asshole with an internet connection that thinks you have something relevant to say.
Haha thought you never posted under other names? Go back in mommy’s basement and smoke your stash.
LOL you think you “thought”……… how cute.
So every person on the Dagger that makes a comment you don’t agree with must be the Crusher of Heads, Holes and Souls, huh. I’ve really got to you bad. No, “Get Real” and “So Sad” are not the SoulCrusher. I only use the screen name “SoulCrusher” and unlike you I’m not a liar. So what is it? You want to date me or something? You are truly obsessed with me aren’t you? I think you’re the one who needs to get help…..
Sorry jail bird I don’t need any help. Just trolling away…
Apparently. Oh and by the way weed isn’t physically addictive. Just thought I’d let you in on that. By the way, I don’t smoke it anymore. But, you can think what you want…..
People are still crashing into emergency vehicles with bright ass 10 million lumen LED.
We have some sort of other problem than the guy not wearing an approved traffic vest. Get fucked man.
Just 10 minutes ago I watched a car drive 5 feet behind a dump truck, cross the double yellow line 3 times on Stepney road heading towards Route 22.
Why drive like that? I think a lot of people are undiagnosed mentally retarded. You have to know at 730am you’re going to sit at the stop sign waiting on Route 22 traffic, combined with a loaded dump truck infront you. It doesn’t really matter how fast you get there as we sat waiting for almost 2 minutes.
My biggest pet peeve with these retarded assholes is driving 40mph up to a stop sign and bearing down on the brakes the last 5 feet. Do you assholes not know what that looks like? From my driver’s seat, it looks like you’re not going to stop.
You are correct, we do have more problems than the safety vest. My point was that the police and county employees think that the laws do not pertain to them, and to use the grant money for what it is intended for. They seem to get a free pass on everything things that you and I get a ticket or fine for.
And I think Reality 3.0 has some sort of other problem. Nobody cussed at you. So please refrain form showing your ignorance and speak civil.
No thanks. Go boss around your college interns.
Again, get fucked.
Classy 🙁
I will….next time I see your old lady. She says you aren’t that good.
In my opinion, the Aberdeen, Cambridge and Havre De Grace Police Departments should have received more. Aberdeen and Havre De Grace both have the Rt. 40 corridor running thru their towns and have more to lose by senseless drivers that frequent Rt. 40. The Cambridge Police Department has Rt. 50 running right thru it and that alone should give them more. During beach traffic season, a lot of aggressive and careless drivers pass thru their town. When a major roadway passes thru a town the grants should be higher. Just my opinion though…..
In my opinion the state should never have given the 12 million dollars for a wasted cause. If the police/ sheriffs office would actually enforce the laws and the courts would hand out stiff fines 2 things will happen, People will stop driving distracted and those that don’t will pay the costs associated.
“The federal grant awards can only be used for traffic safety activities and are allocated based on crash data for each county and/or organization that applied for funding. Funds can only be spent during Federal Fiscal Year 2017 (October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017). ”
So if this federal money was not “wasted” on this cause, it would not have come to Maryland.
I do agree that we need to crack down on the existing laws…but that could be said about almost anything.
Crash data doesn’t account for reckless and aggressive driving. Nor does it account for hit pedestrians or any other driving issue not involving crashes. Quite frankly, I would use the crash data coupled with other citations of the nature I already mentioned. Crashes should not be the only determining factor of Traffic Safety in an area. Once again, just my opinion….
Agreed. Some of these numbers seem out of whack. HdG gets $3,000 while some bicycle group gets over $80,000? MD state’s attorney’s assoc. gets 350K when it seems like their mission should be fully funded already? 11,000 for AA county PTA’s? Is that something other than what it sounds? I don’t remember the PTA working highway safety. The poor Manchester Police Department only got $1000? The folks of Manchester could have checked their couch cushions and come up with that much. Seems like there’s a lot of politicking going on here… but what’s new?
I’m with you on this. An awful lot of money is being given to organizations that probably shouldn’t receive a dime. I mean, what do you think the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is going to do with the money that they received? What about the Washington College GIS Data Analysis? This is a money grab, pure and simple. They should actually give it to those who need it to fund efforts that produce results and not to people who are going to use it to pay college or rehab salaries.
Trusted sources said certain jurisdictions which may or may not be the ones you named, received smaller amounts of funds because during the last wave of enforcement officers wrote too many warnings instead of tickets. Written Warnings are underrated. They still provide awareness and God forbid improve relations. Ever get a warning in place of a ticket ? Kinda makes your day doesn’t it. Only thing they don’t do is generate revenue. Hence the lower amounts. Absolutely ridiculous. Tickets are not a deterrent by the way. Just a punishment. Don’t believe me? Ever get a speeding ticket? Yes? So you must drive 55/65mph at all times on I-95 right? Bottom line its a great program but funds disbursements are based on revenue returns and NOT improving safety.
That would make sense, except that some of the recipients do not generate fines at all. MADD, Safekids Frederick, Statewide Teen Driver Safety Program? None of those organizations issue citations.
I smoke two joints in the morning and I smoke two joints at night. I smoke two joints in the afternoon that makes me feel alright. When I grew my dope behind the new pig station in Edgewood I charged extra for it? Location location location. When I was on probation I smoked my pig dope everyday. My female probation bitch never knew a thing and was nice enough to tell me she would for sure test me at my last visit. I stopped smoking 40 days before I went for my last visit. Needless to say I walked out laughing and hating your miserable stinking little backwash of a town called Belair. Your cops are worthless pigs, your judges are stinking pigs and your lawyers suck all their dicks?