NTSB to Hold Back-to-School Safety Event

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and several local organizations will hold a free public event here on Thursday to highlight transportation safety for school-age children.

The event will feature demonstrations on school bus safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and child safety seats to help families prepare for the new school year.

According to NTSB, of the more than 30,000 people killed on the nation’s roadways each year, more than 2,000 are school-age children. Motor vehicle-related deaths are the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and the leading cause of death for children and young adults ages 5 to 24.

The back-to-school event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. at the Fitzgerald Auto Mall at 5501 Nicholson Ln. in Rockville.

Officials who will participate in the event include:

• T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, vice chairman of NTSB
• Jack Fitzgerald, CEO and president of Fitzgerald Auto Malls
• Capt. Tom Didone, director of the traffic division at the Montgomery County Police Department
• Todd Watkins, director of transportation at Montgomery County Public Schools
• Nadji Kirby, coordinator of Safe Routes to School at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation