OCEAN CITY, Md. - With the summer beach season on the horizon, the Maryland Department of Transportation and Ocean City officials kicked off the 2024 OC Walk Smart, Drive Smart, Bike Smart safety campaign. This initiative aims to promote road safety by encouraging drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to stay vigilant and adhere to traffic regulations during the bustling vacation months.
Residents and vacationers alike can anticipate encountering Cheswick the Crab, the mascot for the campaign, as he imparts lifesaving rules throughout the resort town starting in May and extending throughout the summer.
On Wednesday, Ocean City officials discussed the safety campaign and how engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services plan to work together to ensure the safety of residents and vacationers.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan expressed enthusiasm for the collaborative effort. "To be able to put together a campaign that really helps us get that message out, get it out consistently, have it on our buses, have it on our trolleys, have the public service announcements just to continually remind our various events and our visitors how important it is to walk smart, drive smart, and bike smart. Our goal is to keep everybody safe," Mayor Meehan affirmed.
Over the years, the Maryland Department of Transportation has implemented various safety measures in Ocean City, including the installation of a 2.7-mile-long fence to prevent jaywalking, LED lights along roads for enhanced visibility at night, and the addition of more crosswalks throughout the town.
Maryland State Highway Administrator Will Pines reiterated the department's commitment to ongoing safety enhancements. "Just for this summer, we did a big refresh to make sure you got bright fresh crosswalk markings throughout the town. And we're going to continue to improve technology and other safety countermeasures to help pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists all work together to get everyone home safely," stated Pines.
The Ocean City Police Department released the Reportable traffic collisions in Ocean City, and there has been a significant decline. 520 total collisions reported in 2022, dropping to 469 in 2023, with no fatalities recorded in the latter year.
With safety as the top priority, the committee hopes this will be the safest year yet in Ocean City.
Fenwick Island and Rehoboth also have been promoting pedestrian, bicyclist and driver safety before the busy summer season begins.