Traffic Fatalities Increase

Authorities Urging Care During Holidays

Traffic fatalities in Southern Maryland have passed 2005 levels, pushed by a spike in Calvert County wrecks, authorities said.

As they headed into a week when roads were likely to be filled with holiday travelers, law enforcement agencies advised caution.

"Just slow down, that's the main thing," said Sgt. Michael Moore, a spokesman for the Calvert sheriff's department.

Calvert had recorded 22 deaths from 17 crashes for the year as of Friday afternoon, up from 10 fatalities in nine crashes in 2005. Fatalities investigated by the St. Mary's sheriff's department have increased slightly. Those two counties' increases more than offset a decrease of more than 20 percent in road deaths in Charles County.

The three counties had logged 67 fatalities as of Friday, up from 61 for the previous year, according to preliminary numbers.

One of the most recent happened last weekend. On Dec. 16, just before midnight, Marvin E. Walker, 36, of Waldorf lost control of his 2000 Suzuki motorcycle on St. Charles Parkway. The bike hit a curb, a metal sign and a tree. Walker, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, but speeding may have been, according to the Charles Sheriff's Office.

Across the three-county area, officers were gearing up for the final days of the holiday season. Citing numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Charles officials said 1,033 people across the nation were killed last December in crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more, the level at which drivers are considered intoxicated under Maryland law.

In Charles, officers have tried to crack down by setting up DUI checkpoints. Flares mark the checkpoints. Unmarked cars positioned near the signs follow some motorists who turn around. Those drivers are stopped if officers see them weaving.

Some drinkers don't seem to notice the signs and pull right in, said Sgt. J. Hoover Thompson, head of the Charles sheriff's traffic operations unit. Deputies ask the drivers to roll down their windows. Sometimes they can immediately smell that someone has been drinking, Thompson said.

Word of the checkpoints can spread to nearby bars, Thompson said. In turn, the patrons will call someone to give them a ride, rather than drive home, he said, stressing that that is a good outcome because it keeps drunk drivers off the road. "That's exactly what I'm after," Thompson said.

In St. Mary's, sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Medved said it is important not only to avoid drinking before driving, but also to line up a designated driver on New Year's Eve. And he said that when drunk drivers may be on the roads, it is not a good time to be in the hands of an inexperienced driver. Drivers who see someone weaving are urged to back off and call authorities, Medved said.

Not all road fatalities involve alcohol, of course. As a 30-year resident of St. Mary's, Medved said he is amazed at the ever-increasing level of traffic, which makes things more dangerous. Two more tips for drivers he offered: Don't underestimate the speed of approaching cars when trying to cross four-lane divided highways such as Route 235 and Route 5, and take note of the recommended speed when going around curves.