Road safety was the message at one Montgomery County, Maryland, high school Thursday — a message driven home by the news a student was hit by a vehicle and suffered minor injuries earlier that morning.
The safety event, called “Driving It Home,” was held at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring.
“This effort is about how do you … have a big education campaign that teaches students good driving habits early,” said Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando. “That’s kind of a gap right now.”
Jawando said that since this class of seniors began high school in 2016, 803 pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle occupants were killed or seriously injured on Montgomery County roads.
The female student hit Thursday was crossing University Boulevard and suffered a foot injury, according to the school’s principal.
Fire Chief Scott Goldstein additionally stressed the importance of being visible and aware as a pedestrian.
“It’s about five times a day in Montgomery County we run a pedestrian injury,” he said.
The “Driving It Home” program was created by Prince George’s County Council member Monique Anderson-Walker, who spoke to the students about seat belt use, texting and driving, speeding and impairment from medicines.
“They’ve sort of drilled this into our heads since the beginning of high school,” said student Daniel Nabity. “I believe it’s effective, even though some people don’t listen.”
