Program Stresses the 5 Keys To B-SAFE In Order To Save Lives           
          
          
(May 5, 2008) – Today, Brijae Harris would be a care-free 13-year old, taking on middle school and starting to tackle the dreams of young adolescence, but her young life was cut short by a driver who made wrong choices on the road. Monique and Adrienne Glover, the mother and grandmother respectively, today told the story of Brijae, a seven year old who was killed by a drunk driver while in a crosswalk on her way to school. The tragedy punctuates the fact that traffic crashes, claiming more than 600 lives in Maryland every year, leave everyone vulnerable. Brijae’s photo was displayed in a poster, along with other Maryland crash victims. In their memory, Maryland citizens are asked to Choose Safety for Life.           
          
At the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore City, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari, Maryland State Police Superintendent Terrence Sheridan, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Dr. Robert J. Bass, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler, Baltimore City Transportation Director Al Foxx, and Maryland Motor Vehicle Administrator John Kuo, took a stand for traffic safety as they pointed out the deadly consequences when wrong choices are made on the road. The Choose Safety for Life campaign, a new Maryland education and public awareness initiative, guides drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and truckers with one voice and a plea to make the right choices on the road.          
          
“Last year, 608 people lost their lives on Maryland’s highways. That is simply unacceptable,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “Often we look at figures like this and say, ‘There is nothing I can do.’ That simply isn’t the case. Individuals can make a difference. It is estimated that 93 percent of traffic crashes are preventable if people make good decisions when on the road. With this program, we are providing tools to help make those good decisions by highlighting the five easy steps people can take to save lives.”           
          
The five life-saving steps known are known as B-SAFE.           
          
Buckle up.          
Slow down – speeding kills.          
Always drive sober.          
Focus.          
Everyone share the road.          
          
If every Maryland driver, motorist, pedestrian and cyclist followed these rules of the road, traffic crash fatalities could be virtually eliminated.          
          
Against the stark backdrop of the Chief Medical Examiner’s building, campaign partners gathered to commit to a goal of zero fatalities. More than 500 automobile victims are taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office every year. Dr. David Fowler, Chief Medical Examiner, described that he personally bears witness to the shattering effect of traffic crashes on a daily basis.          
          
“Nearly everyday, I see the physical impact of traffic crashes – I see the young and the old, grandfathers and infants, mothers and children – sometimes together. We all need to rethink how we treat the subject of traffic safety and elevate it to a cause that is talked about every day with everyone,” said Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler.           
          
“Choose Safety for Life is a framework for traffic safety for everyone – it is our way of charting a course to a safer Baltimore, a safer Maryland,” said Mayor Sheila Dixon. “We are particularly concerned with pedestrian and bicycle safety, and we’ll be concentrating education, traffic enforcement, as well as police enforcement efforts in keeping all roadway travelers safe during the 100 days of safety.”          
          
Though often masked with the euphemism “accident,” traffic crashes are preventable and usually the result of a poor choice. Public education is key to reducing fatalities. To get the B-SAFE message to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike, the Choose Safety For Life campaign will reach out to people using a variety of tools including the new choosesafetyforlife.com website.          
          
“Many drivers don’t even remember that they had to study the rules of the road prior to getting their drivers license,” said Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari. “This interactive website is an educational, yet entertaining, tool that provides a refresher course of what to do when you get behind the wheel. I urge every driver to visit choosesafetyforlife.com. What you learn could save your life.”           
          
The Choose Safety For Life message also will be available through billboards, radio public service announcements, television public service announcements, posters, web banners, print advertisements and virtual marketing. The campaign launch also features 100 days of safety, a calendar of safety events, and a list of 100 ways to stay safe on the road.          
          
“I have personally seen the needless tragedy and heartbreak caused by traffic crashes,” said Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Sheridan. “Maryland law enforcement officers are firmly committed to enforcing our traffic laws and even more dedicated to protecting the lives of Marylanders.”          
          
“Emergency Medical Services personnel see the horrific crash scenes created by wrong choices everyday,” said Executive Director of MIEMSS Dr. Robert R. Bass. “Our mission has always been to save lives, and we take that one step further as we move into raising awareness and crash prevention.”          
          
# # #