Sgt Jerry Eaton

Christmas is almost here

December 17, 2024

HO-HO-Holy smokes, can you believe that Christmas is next week? It seems like it was just yesterday when I was giving traffic tips for safe July 4th travel. Let’s go over our annual list of smart holiday shopping tips.

First, take your time driving through parking lots and shopping centers. There will be a lot of pedestrian traffic as people (much like me) are rushing out to buy last minute gifts. In addition to watching for pedestrians, you also need to be extra careful navigating in and out of parking spaces. You don’t want to ding your sleigh because you weren’t paying attention.

When you are out stopping at multiple stores, be sure to keep your treasures out of sight. Locking your packages in your trunk, or covering them with a blanket, will deter would-be grinches from breaking into your vehicle.

Finally, it is more important than ever to obey all traffic laws. Stop for red lights, slow down, and wear your seatbelt. Lots of extra traffic means there are lots more opportunities to be involved in a crash. I am not sure many insurance companies will honor a claim that involves eight tiny reindeer.

Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely.

HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org

Handicapped Parking Detail

December 10, 2024

This week I want to take a detour from normal traffic tips, and chat about an upcoming detail the HCSO Traffic Unit is organizing. In the coming weeks, members of the Traffic Unit and our allied partners will be participating in a handicapped parking detail. Officers will be working with investigators from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to monitor shopping centers throughout the county. The MVA investigators will bring with them a database of all legally-issued handicapped parking placards. When a vehicle utilizes a marked handicapped parking space, the driver will be asked to provide three things: a driver’s license, the handicapped parking placard, and the wallet card which is issued to the vehicle owner. The Deputy or Police Officer will then consult with the MVA investigator to verify that the person using the parking space is legally permitted to do so. If these items cannot be produced or aren’t issued to the person operating the vehicle (or their passenger), you can count on a $140 fine for “Use Of Disabled Person Parking Placard If Not Disabled Or Accompanied By Disabled Person.”

With holiday shopping season in full swing, don’t make the mistake of using a handicapped space if you aren’t permitted. It is one of the fastest ways to get on Santa’s naughty list.

Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely.

HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org

“Accident”

November 19, 2024

If you are a regular reader of #traffictiptuesday, you may have noticed that I never refer to a vehicle collision as an “accident”. The word “accident” implies that nothing could have been done to prevent whatever happened. We use the word “crash” instead, because they are almost always preventable. This year in Harford County there have been 2,729 crashes. Every single one of them would have been preventable if the vehicle operator(s) had done something differently.

The number one cause of all crashes worldwide is aggressive driving. Speeding, unsafe lane changes, tailgating, failing to yield the right of way, passing when prohibited, and many other aggressive behaviors lead to hundreds of thousands of crashes nationwide.

Aggressive driving is followed closely by distracted driving when it comes to vehicle crashes. Every year in Maryland there are an estimated 21,800 injuries because of distracted driving. Texting, eating, sending TikToks- anything that takes your attention away from the road can contribute to a crash.

Finally, when it comes to crashes, the most preventable occurrence is impaired driving. On average, one person dies in the United States every 50 minutes because of impaired driving. Unfortunately, this is the time of year when we see those numbers spike. For one reason or another, drivers are more likely to drive impaired during the month of November than any other month of the year. In fact, statistically speaking, the night before Thanksgiving is the biggest DUI night of the calendar year.

Let’s all do our part to keep everyone safe as we enter the holiday season. Slow down, put down your phones, and never, ever drive impaired. After all, driving safe is no accident.

Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely.

HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org

School Bus Violations

November 12, 2024

Welp, I hoped that I wouldn’t need to write on this topic again so soon, but the motorists of Harford County have spoken. Since the first day of school this year, our Automated School Safety Program has issued 1228 violations for drivers passing a school bus that was stopped with the red lights activated. Let’s take a few moments for some friendly reminders when it comes to school bus safety.
First, anytime a bus is stopped with its red lights activated, Maryland law requires ALL vehicles to stop at least 20 feet prior to the bus. This means, if you are approaching the bus from behind, you must stop 20 feet back. If you are approaching towards the bus from the other side of the street, you must stop at least 20 feet before the front of your vehicle is even with the bus.
Second, the only time you need NOT stop is if there is a physical barrier between the travel lanes of the road. This could be a concrete barrier (A.K.A. “Jersey wall”), a raised median, or a grass culvert. The painted lines on a roadway do not count as a physical barrier.
Finally, ALL vehicles on the road must stop regardless of how many lanes there are. Many of our “hot spots” involve multi-lane roads. In fact, our biggest problem area is on Rte 543 just south of the Bel Air Bypass. There are multiple lanes of travel in each direction, but no physical barrier. If you are anywhere on this section of road and the bus is stopped with red lights activated, you must stop.
It is vitally important that we all do our part to keep our kids safe. This is especially important when they are entering or exiting a school bus. The Traffic Unit will be doing their part by beefing up school bus enforcement efforts in all areas of the county. Remember, an automated citation is $250, but if a Deputy catches you in the act, the fine is $570 and could add 3 points to your driving record.
Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely.
HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324