Tag: safety
Pedestrian fatalities most likely to involve seniors
“Walking seniors are dying in record numbers on Virginia’s roads,” reports AAA Mid-Atlantic. Statewide, there were 37 fatalities involving pedestrians age 65 or older in 2019, compared to 19 in 2018. Fairfax County had 16 pedestrian deaths in 2019, including six people age 65 or older, the most of any jurisdiction in Virginia. There were … Continued
Residents urge officials to curb speeding and ban trucks on Backlick Road
An accident on Backlick Road and Jayhawk Street on Jan. 6. [Aaron Kelley] Two serious accidents that occurred within 10 minutes of one another at about 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 highlight the safety concerns on Backlick Road in Annandale. A witness, Aaron Kelley, saw people holding infants as they got out of their wrecked … Continued
Christmas trees will be picked up in January
If your live Christmas tree has dried out, it’s time to dispose of it to avoid a fire hazard, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department warns. Christmas tree fires aren’t that common, but when they do occur, they are more likely to be serious, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Dried out trees … Continued
Drunk driving campaign rolled out for Labor Day
A still from the ‘Act Like It’ ad urges viewers to act like responsible adults, not babies If you’re mature enough to drink, you’re mature enough to get a ride home. That’s the message of a new anti-drunk-driving campaign in Virginia targeting young men. The statewide “Act Like It” social media campaign, sponsored by Checkpoint … Continued
Board agrees to address panhandling in roadways
A panhandler in the median on Little River Turnpike in Annandale. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on July 16 agreed to consider ways of discouraging panhandling in roadways. The board passed a motion proposed by supervisors Pat Herrity (Springfield) and John Cook (Braddock) calling for county staff to draft an ordinance on panhandling that … Continued
Avoid getting struck by lightning: When thunder roars, go indoors
Lightning can be deadly. [Pixabay] The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is commemorating Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June 23-29) by advising the public about the dangers posed by lightning and how to avoid getting hurt. Each second, about 100 bolts of lightning hit the earth’s surface all over the world, FCFRD states. A single … Continued
Free gun locks, locking medicine boxes available for suicide prevention
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board is giving away free gun locks and locking medication boxes as part of an effort to help families make their homes safer. Limiting access to firearms and toxic medications for a person in crisis is an essential strategy for preventing suicide. Studies show individuals are three times more likely … Continued
Pedestrian fatalities outpace murders
This sign appeared on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads in 2017. More people have been killed trying to walk across Fairfax County roadways than there are victims of murder. So far this year, there have been 43 pedestrian crashes, eight pedestrian fatalities, and more than 40 pedestrian injuries in Fairfax County. In 2018, there were … Continued
Fairfax County to launch drone program
Fairfax County plans to use unmanned aircraft systems, commonly called drones, for public safety purposes. The county has scheduled six public information meetings on the proposed UAS system. The first meeting is Jan. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale. The formal presentation starts at 7 p.m. Officials from … Continued
VDOT open house features traffic management and safety agencies
Dozens of trucks on display at VDOT’s Incident Management Open House. Although traffic congestion is a way of life in the D.C. metro region, imagine how much worse it would be without the dozens of agencies from multiple jurisdictions that work to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Many of those agencies took part … Continued
Parents of toddler who fell from Skyline Towers window are suing the building’s owner
Sayed Zaidi [WUSA] Days after a toddler fells to his death from the 24th floor of the Skyline Towers, the parents of another child who died in a similar accident just over two months ago are suing the building’s owners and managers, according to a report on WUSA Channel 9. A 2-year-old boy was pronounced dead … Continued
New agreement clarifies role of SROs
Officer James Cottom, an SRO at Lake Braddock Secondary School. [FCPD] A revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Police Department FCPD clarifies the the role of School Resource Officers (SROs), with the goal of better protecting students’ rights. The school board approved the new SRO July 26. … Continued
Sleepy Hollow Road residents oppose sidewalks
Signs like this line Sleepy Hollow Road. People who live on Sleepy Hollow Road filled the large meeting room at the Mason Government Center April 23 to complain about an upcoming sidewalk project. Residents expressed anger about the possibility of losing part of their front yards and mature trees – and the potential for declining … Continued
Closed sidewalk endangers pedestrians on Leesburg Pike in front of retail construction site
People are walking in traffic on Leesburg Pike. Now that the sidewalk in front of the shopping center project under construction on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads has been closed off, people are risking their lives walking in the street with cars and trucks whizzing by a few inches away. Spectrum Development LLC, which is … Continued
Pedestrian improvements planned for Route 50
Route 50 at the Wayne Road and Woodlawn Avenue intersections. [Google Maps] Construction will start soon on several pedestrian improvement projects along Route 50 between Jaguar Trail in Falls Church and east of Patrick Henry Drive in Seven Corners. The 10 projects, undertaken by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation in coordination with the Virginia … Continued