Crashes Are Still the Leading Cause of Teen Deaths

(Click on the image for the NHTSA article)

• Your teen sees a driver's license as a step toward freedom, but you might not be sure your teen is ready for the road. One thing is certain: teens aren't ready to have the same level of driving responsibility as adults. Teen drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes, mainly because of their immaturity, lack of skills, and lack of experience. They speed, they make mistakes, and they get distracted easily – especially if their friends are in the car.
• Learn about your State’s GDL laws.
• Talk to your teen about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.
• Be a good role model.
• Don't rely solely on a driver's education class to teach your teen to drive.

80 Prince George's County Police Officers Recognized for Responding to the Capitol on January 6, 2021

From https://twitter.com/PGPDNEWS:

On February 17, 2021, "80 of our officers who responded to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th were recognized by County Council Chair C. Hawkins and Council members J. Ivey and S. Harrison & community partner 4Ever Unified. Each officer was provided a gift bag. We thank them for their continued support!"

Vehicle choice, crash differences help explain greater injury risks for women

(Click on the image for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report)

• Women are much more likely than men to suffer a serious injury when they are involved in a crash, but much of the heightened risk is related to the types of vehicles women drive and the circumstances of their crashes, rather than physical differences
• The numbers indicate that women more often drive smaller, lighter cars and that they’re more likely than men to be driving the struck vehicle in side-impact and front-into-rear crashes
• One explanation of the higher injury rates for women could be vehicle choice. Men and women crashed in minivans and SUVs in about equal proportions. However, around 70 percent of women crashed in cars, compared with about 60 percent of men. More than 20 percent of men crashed in pickups, compared with less than 5 percent of women. Within vehicle classes, men also tended to crash in heavier vehicles, which offer more protection in collisions.
• Men are more likely to be driving the striking vehicle. Because the driver of the striking vehicle is at lower risk of injury than the struck vehicle in such crashes, this could also account for some of the differences in crash outcomes for men and women.

MD 210 Traffic Enforcement Efforts (Jan. 1, 2021 - February 7, 2021)

Provided thanks to Major Mitchell, District VII Commander

 

Online Non-Emergency Application

To dispatch responders to non-emergencies, call 301-352-1200 or use the new application at http://911.mypgc.us/ for the incident types shown above. The app can be accessed on a cellphone.

Always call 911 in emergencies!

The new Prince George's County Police information number is 301-516-9777.

Teens and Speeding: Breaking the Deadly Cycle

(Click on the image for the Governors Highway Safety Association report)

• The U.S. has a speeding problem. Driving at high rates of speed or too fast for conditions is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to serious and fatal crashes on our nation’s roadways. Over the past five years (2015-2019), speeding has claimed the lives of approximately one-third of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes. While speeding is risky for all drivers, it is particularly problematic for teens 16 to 19 years of age. A closer look at the speeding data reveals a troubling and persistent trend—the proportion of fatal crashes that involved speeding was higher for teenage drivers than for other age groups (43% versus 30%).
• While the youngest teen drivers (16- and 17-year-olds) have the highest fatal crash risk due to lack of experience, their older counterparts (18- and 19-year-olds) are more likely to crash later at night (midnight to 5 a.m.) and on highways and freeways. And when it comes to passengers, the risk of a teen driver being involved in a speeding-related fatal crash increases exponentially with each additional peer in the vehicle.