ICYMI: Anne Arundel Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD– Sunday morning in Baltimore, a cruise ship crashed into a gangway, causing the gangway to fall and damage three cars underneath, according to a statement by Carnival to WBAL editor Mia Rosas.

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While worrying about death by rogue cruise ship isn’t something to lose sleep over, there are other possible dangers that affect Anne Arundel County residents.

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We asked Patch Readers what they thought the biggest safety issues were in their town. Here’s a list of the most pressing problems, from break-ins to traffic jams:

• "The fact that free parks don't need to be maintained to any level of safety nor do they need to warn park goers that they may be dangerous."
• "People in the left turn lane at Ritchie/B&A, who then blow thru the intersection to the next left turn lane at Robinson/Ritchie...despite several signs prohibiting it."
• "With all the construction going on (they've built several whole developments, seemingly overnight, while they move at a snail's pace on widening 175!) we need better timing of all of the lights on the perimeter of Ft. Meade that treat all directions more even-handedly, instead of privileging the base at all hours. There needs to be a turning lane on Reece Road at Pioneer City, where the water tower and elementary school are (because people heading south and turning east--toward Ft. Meade, and turning left--take forever, so through traffic is stuck behind them--or forced to ride on the shoulder near the school to pass them)."Distracted drivers who drive while texting or using their smartphones."
• "The trafficking of narcotics. The number of people telling me about break-ins and items missing from yards has grown considerably recently."
• "...I would like to see wider sidewalks/bike paths, and safer crosswalks in the Crofton area. I would love to walk to many of the great businesses nearby but is really unsafe to be on foot in certain parts."
• "Need more speed humps in high traffic neighborhoods . People use our road as a cut from Crain to B&A to avoid the lights they fly down my road that has on street parking and almost every home has small children."
• "Drugs and no where for the addicts locally to actually get help, bicycles on roads with no nike lanes, texting and aggressive drivers, illegals, and houses being allowed to be built in areas like Mayo that are already overcrowded"
• "People's inability to correctly function around a roundabout is a big problem, and Odenton has a couple of those where people lose their minds when they approach it."
• " Traffic congestion, drugs & repeat businesses. No new businesses & nowhere for the kids to go."
• "People speeding in a school zone!! Four way stop Will be coming in front of Piney Orchard Elementary school because of a safety issue."

According to HealthGrove, a medical news site, dying by assault is more common in Maryland than many other states. There are 6.7 deaths per 100,000 in the state from assault, compared to 3.2 deaths per 100,000 for the country.

And it’s not just assault. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 442 traffic fatalities in 2014, thankfully down from 614 deaths almost a decade earlier.

But it’s not all bad in Maryland!

From lucky moms winning the lottery to animal success stories, plenty of good happens in your neighborhood.

Just last week, a humpback whale was spotted breaching in the Chesapeake Bay. Humpback whales may soon be moving off the endangered species list, where they’ve been since 1970, after an increase in population.

Each week, Patch works to bring Anne Arundel County residents the latest news from their area. Some good, some bad and some delicious.

Is there an problem that wasn’t mentioned? Share it with us in the comments below or on our Annapolis Patch Facebook page.