The annual survey of Maryland residents about their concerns and attitudes toward traffic safety begins today, July 1.  This on-line, anonymous survey is available for all Marylanders through August 12. Residents can take the survey by logging onto http://www.marylanddriversurvey.com. The survey takes just 15-20 minutes to complete.

This survey of local community traffic issues was developed by the University of Maryland for Maryland’s Department of Transportation, Maryland State Highway Administration’s Safety Office. It is part of an ongoing effort to monitor public beliefs, concerns, and behaviors of Maryland motorists regarding traffic safety issues, especially at the local level.
 
Over 2,600 people took the survey last year and the results showed that over 62% of the respondents were concerned about speeding and aggressive driving in their community. Over 50% were concerned about people who use cell phones while driving, yet almost 75% reported using a cell phone at least once when they drove in the last month.

The St. Mary’s County survey provides space for residents to provide feedback on specific areas of concern, include roadway locations.  This information will be compiled and provided to the Board of County Commissioners, law enforcement, public works and state highway.

According to the survey’s developer, Dr. Kenneth Beck of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, these results along with other data (e.g., crashes, injuries, and arrests) can help plan and monitor traffic safety programs that are designed to be specific to particular communities.

“The highway safety concerns for large metropolitan communities, such as Montgomery or Prince George’s county, are likely to be different than those from smaller or more rural communities,” Beck said, adding that “the survey and its results will help localize and define the needs and issues of their county.” 

For additional information contact Jackie Beckman, CTSP Coordinator for St. Mary’s County at
(301) 475-4200 ext. 1850 or email jbeckman@stmarysmd.com  or contact Professor Kenneth Beck, Department of Public and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, (301) 405-2527, kbeck1@umd.edu .