2024 Highway Safety Summit Agenda

Attendees should enter the Hilton through the main entrance where you will be directed to check in with MHSO staff.

Breakfast, including eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, pastries, bagels, coffee and tea will be available before the event begins. The event will start at 8:00 a.m. sharp.

The singing of the National Anthem and welcome remarks by Maryland leadeship.

Keynote Speaker: Eric Bailey

Every day you’re driven nuts by the people around you making common sense errors and irrational decisions. Imagine what life would look like if you didn’t have to waste time and energy dealing with stubborn, clueless, argumentative, defensive, or apathetic individuals and how that would improve behavior on our roads! Thank goodness Eric Bailey translates decades of brain science research into every-day language, helping you break through common communication barriers that will improve every relationship in your life.

Take time to grab a cup of coffee or tea and visit with our showcase partners.

Panel Members: Tara Andringa, PAVE; Captain Liberati, City of Bowie Police Department; Michael Pack, CATT Laboratory

While we have not yet reached the flying cars seen on The Jetsons, we have certainly come a long way from The Flintstones. We have vehicles that can park themselves and autonomous shuttles. There is data being collected to allow us to be able to forecast traffic just like we forecast the weather. Current tools allow us to provide instant feedback to drivers about their behavior without having law enforcement present or having law enforcement issue a traffic ticket. This panel is sure to enlighten you about what is already happening with technology on our roadways.

Speaker: Janet Bahouth, Crash CORE

This presentation will share an approach to crash safety research that incorporates multi-disciplinary perspectives, ensuring that as a team nothing goes unnoticed, and a best possible solution is found.  A specific crash will be reviewed beginning hours before the crash, the impact itself, post-crash events and follow-up with the occupant months after the incident.  Participants will learn  that by joining forces, every discipline can carry out our purpose, redefine our mission, and improve upon yesterday’s efforts.

Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Speaker: Kim Brown, National District Attornys Association’s National Traffic Law Center and Melissa Shear, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Washington, D.C.

This presentation will provide a synopsis of the National Traffic Law Center’s (NTLC’s) most recent publication, Hospitals, HIPAA, and Impaired Driving Cases—A Guide for Law Enforcement and Prosecutors, as well as an overview of other free resources from the NTLC to aid the fight against impaired driving. The new guide was created to assist law enforcement and prosecutors in navigating legal complexities related to impaired driving cases involving medical records and HIPAA regulations. After this presentation you’ll have more clarity on strategies to overcome legal hurdles while respecting patients’ privacy rights and how to collaborate with your partners to build against impaired drivers, leading to improved outcomes.

Speakers: Torine Creppy, Mark Chandler, Shane Simenstad, Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is the certifying body of Child Passenger Safety Technicians and a lead agency in providing car seat checks through its Buckle Up® program. This session will provide an overview of Safe Kids’ mission, its commitment to equity in child safety, as well as work being done by Safe Kids to advance road safety in Maryland and opportunities for partnership. The Safe Kids Injury Risk Index (SKIRI) will also be presented, highlighting zip codes in Maryland at increased risk of unintentional child injury death.

Speakers: Kevin Fox, Maryland State Highway Administration; Christopher Letnaunchyn P.E., Carroll County Department of Public Works; David Lewis, Maryland Fire Chiefs Association; Lt. David Ryan, Maryland State Police

A day on the job shouldn’t involve risking your life. However, moving traffic presents a dangerous threat when responding to a traffic incident. Safety professionals involved in traffic incident management should be well-versed in several key areas to effectively mitigate risks and ensure the safety of responders and the public. Learn strategies to mitigate risk such as communication essentials, traffic control techniques, and other responder safety measures.

Speaker: Becky Mueller, IIHS

Becky Mueller will present on topics and trends related to electric vehicles and roadway safety.  This will include EV fire risk, differences in crashes, observations about extra weight in EVs and roadside hardware concerns. Attendees should prepare to engage with a diverse array of topics and gain a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with electric vehicles in the context of roadway safety.

Speakers: Jean Paul Talledo Vilela, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute; Sung Yoon Park, Maryland State Highway Administration; Nataliya Schroeder, Maryland State Highway Administration

VTTI will talk about new technologies that benefit work zone deployments by adding safety features to work zones such as Smart Helmet and Vest devices, a Work Zone builder app with tools for design and layout, Move Over Law real-time processing and intrusion detection, and the autonomous TMA (ATMA) platform. Attendees will also hear about the latest in Maryland’s new policy, standards, and technologies on work zone safety from MDOT’s State Highway Administration.

Speaker: Fionnuala Quinn

We invite you to explore the world of traffic gardens and discover their potential as transformative educational tools for nurturing safe road users of tomorrow. Traffic gardens are small-scale roadway or street networks designed for developing biking skills and conducting roadway safety lessons. Children love spending time in them as they are small, safe worlds just for them. We will learn how they first emerged in the 1930s and how they have reemerged as a popular tool for modern lessons and as community amenities. We will delve into the art of creating and maintaining traffic gardens, sharing practical insights on sites, design, and community engagement. Join us to learn how to repurpose existing hard surfaces to create these unique worlds and watch as they blossom into powerful platforms for teaching essential road safety skills and promoting active transportation for large cohorts of children. Hear about the projects that have already taken off in Maryland as well as what is emerging nationally as this tool is being adopted. Whether you are a local official, transportation designer, or community leader, this session will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration needed to plant the seeds of road safety education in your community’s future.