Vehicle Maintenance

March 7, 2023

As a guy who has dedicated a large part of his career to traffic safety, I tend to be more relaxed with the people in my own home. I like to think that they care about vehicle safety as much as I do. Well, imagine my surprise last night when one of my sons informed me that he has been driving around with a cracked windshield for “a little while now.” I was so shocked, appalled, dumbfounded, dismayed, astonished, and surprised, that I nearly dropped my thesaurus!

Maintaining your vehicle equipment in a vital part of staying safe on our roadways. Headlights, brake light, turn signals, and even windshields are important, not only so you can see other drivers, but also so that they can see you. I highly recommend walking around your vehicle every day before you start your commute to ensure everything is on the up and up. Being pulled over and issued a repair order forces you to correct any vehicle defects whether you are ready to or not. It is relatively simple. Take time now to care for your vehicle or you will be forced to make time later.

SCHOOL BUS CAMERA UPDATE – Since implementing the system, 211 violations have been observed and cited. Do your part to keep that number from growing.
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
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram

Handicap Parking

February 28, 2023

The Harford County Traffic Unit does a lot more than just pull people over for unsafe driving behaviors. In fact, we are often involved in a number of details. I only mention this because one such detail is coming up soon. We will be working with investigators from the Motor Vehicle Administration to enforce handicapped parking violations. Most of us will say “what kind of person would illegally park in a handicapped spot.” The answer is “many more than you might think.” Sometimes it is the person who uses a loved one’s parking placard when they go grocery shopping. Other times it is people like the gentleman who left his company pickup truck running in a handicapped parking space while he ran in to pick up his curbside to-go (people are always watching).

Regardless of the violation, we will be out there enforcing all of them. My tip for this week is if you want to avoid a $140 fine, leave the handicapped parking spaces for the folks that truly need them.

SCHOOL BUS CAMERA UPDATE – Since implementing the system, 125 violations have been observed and cited. Do your part to keep that number from growing.
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
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram

School Bus Safety

February 21, 2023

If you are a regular reader, you have probably seen me write about school bus safety. One of the most prevalent violations on Harford County roadways involves drivers passing or overtaking a school bus while the red lights are flashing. Sometimes people will even do this in conjunction with other unsafe behavior, such as Sally zooming by while texting her friends, or Poppop Googling around in his email. Well, fear not! Harford County Public Schools in partnership with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office are taking steps to help keep our students safe.

Currently, 100 county school buses, or approximately 20% of the fleet for my fellow math nerds out there, are equipped with “stop arm cameras.” These cameras, which are mounted to the side of the bus, begin recording any time the red flashing lights on the bus are activated. When John Q Citizen decides that today is a good day to disregard the health and safety of innocent children, the cameras capture the wrong-doing and the video is uploaded to a digital server. Once received, a member of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office will review the video and once verified, a citation in the amount of $125 will be mailed to the registered owner’s home address. The best way to avoid this? Simply remember that state law requires you to stop twenty feet from the school bus any time the red lights are flashing.

The system, which went live last week, has recorded fifty violations in the first four days. This is WAAAAAAAY too many drivers who are making terribly unsafe choices. Here is hoping we can all work together to drive (pun intended) this number down to zero.

As always, if you have a question or concern, please leave it in the comments below. Also, if you have a specific concern with unsafe driving in your area, such as speeding, drag racing, etc., give us a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. 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
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram

Defensive Driving – Vehicle Maintenance

February 7, 2023

This week for #traffictiptuesday, let’s get back to basics. While safe, defensive driving SHOULD be a commonsense practice, there are other aspects of driving that folks sometimes ignore. Probably the most important of these is vehicle maintenance. It is hard to be a safe driver if your car won’t start. Regular oil changes should be done so your vehicle can stay in tip-top shape. You should check your other fluids regularly. You will also want to inspect and rotate your tires based on your manufacturer’s recommendation. You should also periodically check your lights and turn signals so you don’t get a repair order. As the old saying goes, you can choose to make time for it now, or you will have to make time for it later.

Another basic act we can all do a little better is vehicle security. You should never leave your unoccupied vehicle running, even if you are only away from it for a moment. It does not take a car thief long to get into your cherry red hot rod and tear down the street while you are not looking. You also never want to leave sunroofs open, or doors unlocked. Not that many of us are cruising with the top down in February, but you never know when a criminal will shimmy through the roof of your vehicle so they could unlock your doors and steal all your spare change!

As we slowly wind our way through 2023, let’s all try to remember the little things that can keep us and our vehicles safe.

As always, if you have a question or concern, please leave it in the comments below. Also, if you have a specific concern with unsafe driving in your area, such as speeding, drag racing, etc., give us a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. 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
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram