The annual “Monitoring the Future of Maryland, A Survey of Highway Safety Issues” is underway.  Maryland residents have the opportunity to document their concerns and attitudes regarding their county’s traffic-related issues, such as enforcement priorities and driver behaviors. 

This survey was developed by the University of Maryland for the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration’s Safety Office. It is part of an ongoing effort to assist local governments, including Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinators and law enforcement officials on prioritizing county-specific traffic safety issues based on citizen concerns. 

More than 650 Calvert County residents participated by taking the survey during the 2007 calendar year.  A review of local results determined that Calvert County residents’ traffic safety priorities at that time included drunk driving and speeding/aggressive driving.  When asked what countermeasures they would most like to see occur, continued speed enforcement efforts, especially on Route 2/4 was listed most often.  Since then, more than $60,000 in Calvert County Traffic Safety Council grant funds has been directed to local sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols through the region’s “Checkpoint Strikeforce” campaign and speed enforcement efforts funded through Maryland’s “Smooth Operator” campaign.

Residents are now being requested to participate in this year’s survey in order to assist highway safety officials in developing Calvert County enforcement and education priorities for fiscal year 2010 and beyond.   The survey can be taken by logging onto http://www.marylanddriversurvey.com through August 12th.

For additional information contact Ms. Debbie Jennings, Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator for Calvert County at (410) 535-2200 or jennindk@co.cal.md.us by email.   You may also 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