MD promotes awareness of road safety among motorists, cyclists and pedestrians

As part of their streetsmart campaign, MD is promoting helmet use, among other things.

Matrangola, who says wearing a helmet saved his life, is using his accident to help educate other cyclists. That's why the software engineer appeared at a news conference last week at The Mall in Columbia with his dented helmet in hand as part of a statewide campaign called Street Smart.

Among the Street Smart tips for motorists are: allow a clearance of three feet when passing bicyclists, yield to pedestrians and cyclists when turning, and look before opening a car door. Pedestrians are warned to cross at marked crosswalks, to look left, right and left again before crossing, and to make sure they are visible after dark or in bad weather. Cyclists should use hand signals when turning, make themselves as visible as possible and never ride against traffic.

The article has some new statistics as well.

According to Howard County police and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, there are about 1,700 pedestrian-involved and 500 bicycle-involved crashes a year in the Baltimore region, with an average of 52 fatalities.

About 100 pedestrian deaths occur in the state annually, including a handful involving cyclists, Mobley said. More than one-third of the crashes involving pedestrians or bicycles occur in Baltimore.

That sentence is awkward. I think that "handful involving cyclists" are deaths, but not pedestrian deaths. But it makes it look like a handful of pedestrians are killed by cyclists, and I don't think that is correct.

And there are some improvements coming

Ulman said the proposed redevelopment of downtown Columbia is "getting us to focus on streetscapes and complete streets with sidewalks and bike lanes and parking areas."

Guanari said many adults, including his children, are unaware of the laws regarding motorists and cyclists — or that more severe penalties for vehicular homicide will go into effect Oct. 1. A motorist found to have operated a vehicle in a "criminally negligent manner" could face a charge that carries a penalty of up to three years in jail.