On September 26, four members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Operations Unit were among approximately 140 officers honored at the Maryland Department of Transportation’s ADAPT (Aggressive Drivers Are Public Threats) Aggressive Driving Prevention Awards Luncheon.
Sgt. Jon Burroughs, Pfc. Patrick McPherson, Cpl. Kris Syvertsen, and Cpl. Ray Brooks received awards for their efforts in reducing aggressive driving on our roadways in 2018. Aggressive driving includes actions such as speeding, tailgating, running stop signs or red lights, and weaving in and out of traffic. According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, there have been 4,256 crashes in the past five years in Maryland that involved an aggressive driver, resulting in more than 200 deaths and nearly 2,600 injuries.
“Aggressive driving is dangerous for all motorists and pedestrians, and our Traffic Operations Unit works very hard to enforce the laws that are in place to keep everyone safe,” said Sheriff Troy Berry. “We very proud of these officers’ dedication to maintaining the safety of our roadways.”
Maryland law (TR21-901.2) states that at least three separate aggressive driving behaviors must be observed to charge a driver with aggressive driving. While drivers can be fined for any individual driving infraction, the penalty for a cumulative series of aggressive driving violations is $370 and five points on your license. For more information about the campaign, please visit: http://towardzerodeathsmd.com/aggressive-driving/.