Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Editorial - Star Democrat
Treacherous Rt. 404
July 20, 2006

Local and state officials and concerned citizens met Friday near the intersection of Maryland Route 404 and Deep Shore Road at Denton to discuss safety issues and to gather ideas on how to make what has become a deadly crossroads at least a bit safer.

Richard Lindsay, district engineer for the State Highway Administration, said rumble strips would be installed on both sides of Route 404 to alert motorists before they get to the treacherous intersection.

Since the death of Francis Marc Hayman of Denton on Tuesday, July 11, SHA has placed fluorescent panels on top of speed limit signs as well as installed a speed monitor on the eastbound shoulder of the road. Lindsay said the monitor gathers data on speed and counts vehicles going by.

Lindsay said the monitor will be moved to the westbound lane next week. Lindsay also said larger speed limit signs may be installed on the highway.

“We have had great success where those signs are in use,” Lindsay said. “We can use this to make engineering decisions.”

Some citizens at the meeting wondered why it took a death on the road to get SHA to make the improvements. Lindsay said fluorescent panels and speed monitors should be used only in strategic locations.

“We’re concerned we don’t overuse these devices,” he said.

Maryland State Police and Caroline County Sheriff’s Office representatives mentioned another problem that needs dealing with if Route 404 ever is to be made safer. They say a lack of manpower prevents them from doing traffic enforcement on Route 404.

According to 1st Sgt. Krah Plunkert of the Maryland State Police at the Easton Barrack, which handles coverage for Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester counties, only two troopers are assigned at a time to each county and if a serious situation is occurring, troopers are pulled from regular assignments to help in the problem area.

Plunkert said recruitment and replacing retiring troopers is a problem.

State Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, said the Easton barrack is too understaffed and many troopers are leaving their state jobs to take posts with police agencies in Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties because the pay and benefits are better there.

Colburn said Maryland troopers should be the highest paid officers in the state. He worries that not enough troopers come out of the State Police Academy to replace retirees.

“Our state police is aging,” Colburn said. “We’re not replacing the retiring officers as fast as we should be. I’ve been pushing for more police on the Eastern Shore for years.”

Captain Sidney Pinder of the sheriff’s office concurred that coverage is a problem, especially on weekends when only two deputies patrol all of Caroline County.

Rodney Cox, chief of the Denton Police Department, which has jurisdiction over much of Route 404 around Denton, said obsolete equipment such as old radar hampers his officers in traffic enforcement, too.

Plunkert said all three agencies will meet next week to come up with a plan for better enforcing traffic along Route 404.

Caroline County Commissioner John Cole suggests that local governments get the money collected from fines here instead of the money going to the state.

“Too long it’s been this way, it’s time for a change,” Cole said

Lindsay said improved highways and better police enforcement will help, but ultimately, it is getting drivers to slow down that will make the most difference.

Lindsay said educating people about not getting caught up with distractions including cellular phones is the most effective way to make highways safer.

The death of Marc Hayman, a well-liked and respected member of the Denton community, should not be in vain. His friends who already have spoken out about this heart-breaking accident should continue to speak out about Route 404 safety issues.

Public officials, state, county and town, who this week have said they truly want to make differences to make Route 404 safer need to carry through with those promises and proposals. The fact that officials of the state police, Denton police and the Caroline County sheriff’s department plan to confer about improving policing of the dangerous highway is most welcome news. It shouldn’t have taken this traffic incident to get them together, but we hope they will confer now and continue to confer about the best ways to unite in the effort to police Route 404 and make it safer.

Lives truly depend on all of these proposed improvements.