Safe Neighborhood Day conference takes place at Blair

Local lawmakers, law-enforcement officials and victims gathered in Blair's Colesville Road parking lot on Friday, Oct. 29 for a press conference for Safe Neighborhood Day to promote driver and pedestrian safety, especially among teenagers. Speakers included County Executive Doug Duncan, Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Police Chief John King.

The event was organized by Pam Miller and Delegate Bill Bronrott, the event's honorary chair. Bronrott is sponsoring legislation that passed in the Maryland State Senate but was killed in the House of Delegates that would prevent teen drivers from driving non-family member passengers within the first six months of getting their provisional licenses. "I think we've got the momentum to pass it this year," he said.

A major focus of the conference was to create awareness for the dangers of Halloween combined with the end of Daylight Savings Time. According to Bronrott, four times as many drivers and pedestrians are killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. In his speech, he called for teens to slow down and not to drink and drive, with an emphasis on the three Es: "education, enforcement and engineering."

Safe Neighborhood Day followed the deaths of 14 local teens in the past month. Kelsey Siegel, a friend of Sam Morris, the BCC student who was hit by a car and killed earlier this month, urged lawmakers not to "put off what could have saved Sam's life." She also appealed to teens, saying, "Don't assume that it will never happen to you."

Duncan compared the recent rash of teen deaths to the sniper shootings but asked, "Where's the outcry?" He urged teens to "just obey the laws. If you drive the speed limit, that's [going to] save a lot of lives," he said.

Van Hollen's speech emphasized the personal role in prevention. "We need everyone to take responsibility," he stated. "Everybody thinks it's the person standing next to them," he commented about those at risk of a vehicular tragedy. "But really, it's all of us."

SGA president Sebastian Johnson also spoke and acknowledged how lucky Blair is to have had no driving-related fatalities this year. "Everyone is a shareholder in insuring that the future of this country, our children, is not destroyed," he said.

Other speakers included Delegate Carol Petzold, Board of Education member Walter Lang and parent Perry Malstaff, whose son Sean was killed in a speeding accident.