ICYMI: Edgewater Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

EDGEWATER, 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.

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

• "The trafficking of narcotics. The number of people telling me about break-ins and items missing from yards has grown considerably recently."
• "Bikers"
• "crazy drivers"
• "The drug problem"
• "The cars speeding super fast around the buses and down central avenue. I wish there were police at collison road in an unmarked car, they could write tickets for days. So many accidents."
• "Impatient drivers and moms on phones texting/calling...with the kids in the car!!!"
• "Traffic congestion, drugs & repeat businesses. No new businesses & nowhere for the kids to go."
• "No sidewalks or bike lanes!!!!"
• "cyclists and pedestrians with no laws in place for using the roads. driving in Anne Arundel county is very stressful. pedestrians are the worse offenders. come on people. Use some common sense"
• "Drugs and no where for the addicts locally to actually get help, bicycles on roads with no nike lanes, texting and aggressive drivers, illegals, and houses being allowed to be built in areas like Mayo that are already overcrowded"

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 Edgewater 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 Edgewater Patch Facebook page.