Driver Safety Tips

Be Street Wise - Drive Safely
You can help keep our roadways safe by doing the following each and every time you hit the road:

Read Your Road
If you have a question about any of the signs, signals, or road markings, this handy online manual has lots of answers.

Drive Safe®!: Keeping Pedestrians Safe When You’re Behind the Wheel
Instructional video designed to teach pedestrian safety concepts to students in driver education, classes, or other instructional venues where pedestrian safety issues can be integrated into the curriculum.

Safety Tips for Drivers

Pedestrian/Cyclist Safety Tips

Winter Walking Safety Tips
Safety tips for walking in winter conditions.

Be Street Wise - Bike Safely
Bike Safe. We're On This Road Together.

Be Street Wise - Walk Safely
Be Street Wise – Drive Safe. Walk Safe. Bike Safe.

National Center for Bicycling & Walking
Great source for all kinds of information. Sign up for their Centerlines E-newsletter.

Walkable Communities
An organization that promotes communities that are safe and fun to walk in. Check out their library.

Is Your Community Walkable?
Use this checklist to see what is needed to make your community safer for walking.

Pedbikeinfo.org
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

WalkSafeTM: Keeping Pedestrians Safe in the “Danger Zone”
English-language instructional video designed to teach pedestrian safety concepts.  It was developed for use in ESOL classes and other instructional venues where English is taught at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians​

The Walking School Bus Information Website
If you’re interested in setting up a walking school bus, this is the place to start.
Safe Routes to Schools Program
Connecting the trip to school with safety, health, community, and choice
Maryland Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program,

Teacher’s Guide (big pdf, requires fast internet connection) and  cover (Word doc). ***NOTE: These resources are provided for our readers' convenience.  Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by Montgomery County Govenment***

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation promotes pedestrian, bicycle, and driver safety messaging through partnerships, outreach, and resources. When we attend county-sponsored and school events, we provide educational materials and giveaways.

Sometimes, our team cannot attend a school or community event, and want to provide you with resources you can use at your event. You can download or print at your convenience. 

Youth
These materials and videos are generally most appropriate for elementary school students but can be used by all ages.

• Activity Book 
  • This 8-page activity book contains coloring pages and a word search with tips for staying safe while out walking, biking, or riding a scooter. This booklet is appropriate for elementary school students.
• Bookmarks
  • These bookmarks are a great giveaway. There is a bike safety tips bookmark and a walking safety tips bookmark. They are designed for younger children, but the tips are appropriate for all ages. 
• Games 
  ​   When learning is fun, the lessons stick. Use these fun games and activities to share safety tips with elementary school students.
  • Bingo 
    • Safety bingo is a fun way to reinforce safety tips. Complete with a master card and instructions in both English and Spanish and 8 individual cards.  
  • Maze 
    • Find your way to school safely from home and learn some safety tips along the way.  Instructions in English and Spanish.
  • Memory 
    • This traditional memory game with safety images  includes instructions in English and Spanish.
  • Scavenger Hunt  
    • This list of items to find is a series of images for even young students still learning to read can play along.  Instructions are in English and Spanish.
• Bike Safety Card 
  • This 2-sided safety card is set to print on a ½ sheet of paper. One side includes bike safety tips and the other side includes walking safety tips. Also available are bike safety tips for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. 
• Bike Rodeo Guide 
  • Bike rodeos are obstacle courses where elementary school children ride their bikes and learn about bike and traffic safety. This step-by-step guide includes the materials needed and instructions for how to set up and orchestrate a bike rodeo.  These events are typically held outside in a parking lot, but they can also work inside a gym. 

Videos

• ABC Spin Check Video 
  • In this 1 minute video, learn how to determine if your bike is safe to ride by completing the ABC Spin Check. A is for air, check the tires and make sure they are inflated properly. B is for brakes, check that the brakes will allow you to stop, and C is for chain, be sure the chain is slightly oily and on straight. Then spin the wheels. 
• Zeal’s Bus Safety Video
  • In this 2-minute video, Zeal, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's (MCDOT) Traffic Safety Zebra, shares some school bus safety tips! 

Teens and Adults

• Safety Tips Brochure
  • This trifold brochure includes safety tips for pedestrians, cycling, and drivers. Available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. 
• Think Before You Drink
  • 2-sided postcard with good reminders and steps to take to avoid driving after drinking.
• Distracted Driving (Focus on not texting)
  • 2-sided postcard with great reminders on how to stay focused while driving for teens and adults. 

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs), also known as signalized pedestrian beacons or high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) beacons, are an option to meet pedestrian safety needs at mid-block crossings or where the traffic volume is too low to warrant a continuously cycling traffic signal. These traffic safety devices are pedestrian-activated and help protect bicyclists and pedestrians by stopping traffic.

Sometimes, our team cannot attend a school or community event, and want to provide you with resources you can use at your event. You can download or print at your convenience. 

Learn how pedestrians and motorists experience a PHB in English and in Spanish.

Web

Learn more about how PHBs work and where they are located or plan to be located throughout the county.

Video

​Signalized Crosswalk Beacons in Montgomery County, MD: Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Traffic Engineering Chief, Michael Paylor, talks about how to use signalized crosswalk beacons, also known as pedestrian hybrid beacons.