Clarksburg Premium Outlets, East Promenade near Lot E-33 and Old Navy Store, Clarksburg
As prepared
Good Morning.
Take a look around. Can there be any doubt that our winter holiday season has begun?
It has been called the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most challenging time of the year in terms of our pedestrian and driving safety.
We are here today to take time during all the holiday festivities and obligations, to focus on what you can do to “Stay Safe This Holiday Season.”
We are asking you to take some common sense actions to “Be Seen, Be Alert and Be Responsible.”
Being Seen is pretty basic. Right now we have more hours of darkness. Drivers need to be particularly watchful for pedestrians.
When you are walking in the dark, you need to do all you can to increase your visibility to help drivers see you. Never assume that drivers have seen you.
Being Alert applies equally to drivers and pedestrians. You cannot let yourself be distracted by cell phone or ear bud use. You must give full attention to your surroundings.
It is important for holiday shoppers to know that 1 in 4 pedestrian collisions occur in parking lots.
Drivers and pedestrians need to stay alert; looking out for each other.
We began an educational campaign, “Heads Up in Parking Lots.” about parking lot safety because we had seen pedestrian collisions in parking lots and garages in the County increasing.
Too many people let their guard down in parking lots. Just increasing the awareness of the importance of being on the lookout for each other can make a difference.
Being Responsible means Don’t Drink and Drive, and do not host a party for guests under age 21 where alcohol is served.
This coming Saturday, December 3, marks the one-year anniversary of fallen Officer Noah Leotta being struck by a drunk driver. He was working with the police department’s annual Holiday Alcohol Task Force.
That same task force is in operation now, and we need to keep our roadways free of impaired drivers for everyone’s safety.
Being Responsible also means respecting the designated disability parking spaces set aside for use by drivers with disabilities whose vehicles have disability tags or license plates.
Today, we kick-off our annual “Shop with a Cop or Firefighter” campaign.
As well as providing a visual reminder to shop safely, they will be handing out environmentally-friendly reusable shopping bags.
Reusing shopping bags is another responsible thing you can do and it protects our environment.
Please take the critical steps to Be Seen, Be Alert and Be Responsible. They are not difficult and they can certainly make a positive difference.
If we can “Stay Safe This Holiday Season, then we can truly enjoy this most wonderful time of the year!
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Release ID: 16-078