LEONARDTOWN — Teen drivers pulling into St. Mary’s County high school parking lots next week should buckle up and put the phone down. Sheriff’s deputies will be checking.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit will run seat belt and distracted-driving compliance checks at all of the county’s public high schools during National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19-23, St. Mary’s County Public Schools announced in an Oct. 15 release.
The school system said it is partnering with the Sheriff’s Office to keep teaching young drivers about wearing seat belts and the dangers of distracted driving. It encouraged young drivers and the adults who support them to talk about how they can improve their own driving and respond to the driving of others.
The release did not say what deputies will do if they find a driver unbelted or using a phone, or whether the checks will happen at arrival, dismissal or both.
What the law says
Maryland requires every driver and passenger to wear a seat belt. Drivers under 18 who hold a learner’s permit or provisional license may not use a cell phone at all while driving, including hands-free, except to call 911.
The checks come as the region has seen its share of deadly crashes involving young people, including a Hughesville teen killed on Tippett Road last year. State highway safety officials have warned that the summer stretch known as the 100 deadliest days is especially dangerous for teen drivers.
For more information, families can contact the SMCPS Department of Safety and Security at 301-475-5511, ext. 32238.
