Encouraging Public Safety on County Roads and Highways
Prince George’s County Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker (D) – District 8 officially launched #DrivingItHome, an initiative to raise awareness about driving safety in District 8 and Prince George’s County through community engagement, during a press conference on Friday, March 22, 2019 at Oxon Hill High School.
Joined in the press conference by Council Member Calvin S. Hawkins, II (D) – At-Large, Council Member Mel Franklin (D) – At-Large, Council Member Tom Dernoga (D) – District 1, Council Member Sydney Harrison (D) – District 9, Prince George’s County Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale, Deputy County Administrative Officer for Public Safety Mark Magaw, and a host of other public safety officials and community stakeholders, Council Member Anderson-Walker introduced #DrivingItHome to Oxon Hill High School students, encouraging them to “Drive Home” the message of safe and responsible road behavior. Council Member Anderson-Walker also visited Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Maryland.
#DrivingItHome was launched in response to a series of deadly accidents on Indian Head Highway/Route 210, which extends through District 8 in Prince George’s County. This ongoing initiative is focused on changing the driving culture in Prince George’s County, and stresses the importance of safe and responsible driving in six areas critical to highway safety: seatbelt use; texting and driving; driver distractions; drunk driving; highway speed; and aggressive driving.
Council Member Anderson-Walker further explains the need to shift the driving culture in Prince George’s County.
“In recent months, Prince George’s County has seen a rising number of vehicle accidents and related fatalities, especially along Indian Head Highway in District 8. Unsafe driving behavior is a contributing factor to highway collisions, and it is important to have real conversations about how to change the driving culture while reinforcing some well-known preventative measures for staying safe on County roads,” adding, “We really wanted to take the #DrivingItHome message to our high schools, because this is where many of our County’s new drivers are engaging and sharing ideas, and we want #DrivingtItHome to be a part of that conversation. If we can get the message to our young people and encourage them to share it with their friends and family, I really believe we can change the driving culture for the long-term and most importantly, save lives.”
Council Member Anderson-Walker and the District 8 team, in a series of events taking place during the weekend launch, also visited Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington and the Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills to share the #DrivingItHome initiative and encourage community support. The #DrivingItHome campaign will feature several additional community initiatives focused on keeping our roads safe.
For additional information, or to learn how you can participate in #DrivingItHome, please click HERE.