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Bethany Beach police report spring distracted-driving enforcement, $3,750 grant for bike lights
Summary
At the Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Committee meeting police described intensified spring-break and distracted-driving patrols that produced 104 citations in 64 grant-funded hours, outlined summer checkpoints and seminars, and said an Office of Highway Safety grant will fund 500 bike-light sets and reflectors for distribution.
Bethany Beach’s pedestrian and bicycle safety panel heard a detailed enforcement and outreach update from the town’s police during its April meeting.
The police chief told the committee that statewide distracted-driving campaigns and targeted spring-break patrols produced “104 citations” during 64 grant-funded hours of enforcement. “This is strictly for enforcement purposes,” the chief said, describing tickets for cell-phone use, speeding and aggressive driving during the holiday period.
The department said it received a $3,750 Office of Highway Safety award to buy 500 bike-light sets and 500 reflector bands that will be handed out at checkpoints and on patrol. “They awarded us $3,750,” the chief said, adding that the equipment will be distributed both at checkpoints and during routine stops.
Officials outlined several planned events and education efforts: bike-safety checkpoints on July 23 and Aug. 6, a two-for-one business seminar combining bike-safety and shoplifting awareness at the South Coastal Library on June 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., a foreign-student safety seminar on June 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and outreach at the Poseidon Festival in May. The chief encouraged committee participation and noted the department’s preference for “education over enforcement” while acknowledging the need to write tickets to curb risky behavior.
Committee members and staff also discussed coordination with the Office of Highway Safety on media materials and a planned production-company visit in early June to shoot a traffic-safety spot that the town may be able to repurpose for local messaging.
The chief described a recent patrol interaction that illustrated the educational approach: two juveniles riding mini electric dirt bikes were stopped, their parents contacted and the bikes taken home rather than issuing citations. He noted the legal status of those off-highway vehicles and warned such devices are not street-legal.
The committee endorsed continued coordination with police for outreach, asked staff to help publicize upcoming training and checkpoints, and agreed to send a thank-you to the Office of Highway Safety for the grant support. The department invited committee volunteers to help distribute materials and participate in planned events.
Next steps: the department will finalize checkpoint dates and continue collaborating with the committee on public outreach and the June seminars.
