County police are working with other county agencies to try to change the behavior of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists through education and the enforcement of traffic laws, including those governing the use of crosswalks and stopping for school buses with flashing red lights. “When we look at the Vision Zero campaign and look at traffic safety across the country, one of the biggest holes that we have is education,” Didone says.
County agencies are raising awareness through efforts like last fall’s Be Safe, Be Seen campaign, which included handing out reflective wristbands and drawstring bags with reflective strips at high schools and Metro stations to remind people that visibility decreases once it starts getting darker earlier.
Police also have worked closely with Montgomery County Public Schools officials to equip all school buses with a safety camera. More than 54,000 citations were issued to drivers who passed stopped school buses during the 2018-2019 school year, according to police. Didone says police are gathering data to assess where citations were issued most often and to determine why those bus stops might be problematic.
In addition, a team of 12 traffic officers has been conducting high-visibility enforcement of traffic laws, targeting drivers during rush hour, in addition to regular enforcement by other officers. Other efforts focus on making sure drivers are aware of pedestrians. “People think it’s the other guy or the other girl, it’s not them. [But] the reality is, it is them, they have a role, they have a responsibility. Every day somebody’s got to do their part,” Didone says.
Changing road infrastructure will take time, and that’s why educating residents to be responsible and vigilant is key, Didone says. Thirteen pedestrians lost their lives in 2019, but each of the hundreds of other incidents during the year also could have been “life altering or tragic,” he says.
“It could be horribly worse, because every time a car and a bicycle or a pedestrian come in contact, the car wins every time,” he says. “It’s the longest losing streak known to mankind.”
