Ellicott City Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

ELLICOTT CITY, 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.

While worrying about death by rogue cruise ship isn’t something to lose sleep over, there are other possible dangers that affect Ellicott City 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:

• "Drivers speeding and blowing through stop signs in the neighborhoods, many of which do not have sidewalks."
• "They continue to build in EC.. more people on the roads = more traffic. More traffic = potential for more accidents. Also, rush hour traffic on 29 once you reach EC area exits is getting bad.. It's slowed or even stopped in both the am and afternoon/early evening."
• "Drivers coming onto 40 West from the 29 North ramp and NOT yielding!!! Drives me absolutely insane everyday!!!"
• "Insane drivers!! No one should be on the road if they're in such a hurry they don't care if their fellow drivers get there alive"
• "Left Turn lanes on Rt 40 near Plum Tree lane heading east."
• "Drunk people, mostly late night Thurs-Sund."
• "Drivers not paying attention to pedestrians in crosswalks, especially in historic district."
• "Parents not buckling their kids into car seats. Letting them move around freely in the car."
• "Robberies"
• "People ignoring the stop sign at St. Paul and Mulligan Hill Lane."

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 Ellicott City 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 Ellicott City Patch Facebook page.