The Maryland Department of Transportation reports the number of motor vehicle accident fatalities on our state’s highways and roadways continues to grow. According to Zero Deaths Maryland, a public safety program of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), car crash deaths are expected to surpass 600 fatalities for 2023 — the highest number of roadway fatalities in decades.
Zero Deaths Maryland reports that most Maryland car crash deaths are caused by the following driving behaviors:
- Driving impaired
- Driving distracted
- Driving too fast
- Driving unbuckled
The MVA is working to get Maryland traffic accident fatality statistics moving in the opposite direction for 2024.
For starters, they’re encouraging the public to refer to motor vehicle accidents as “crashes,” as they assert that the word “accident” takes away from the seriousness of these preventable tragedies. They also state that many roadway crashes are due to human error, and that drivers can choose not to text while driving, speed, or drive under the influence.
Among the recommendations the MVA is making to cut down on roadway crash fatalities…
- Make sure your vehicle is sound mechanically and ready for the road
- Buckle your seatbelts and make sure children are restrained in age-appropriate car seats
- Put down your phone while driving
In addition, the MVA wants to remind the public that Maryland’s Move Over Law was expanded on October 1, 2022, requiring all motorists to make a lane change or slow down when approaching any stopped, standing, or parked vehicle — including emergency vehicles, construction vehicles, or any car or truck on the roadside — displaying warning signals such as hazard warning lights, road flares or other caution signals (such as traffic cones, caution signs or non-vehicular warning signs). Motorists must move over and change lanes if they encounter a vehicle on the roadside, and if that isn’t safe to do so, then slow down.
Related Maryland Injury Attorney article:
Maryland Move Over Law Expands to Protect All Vehicles on the Roadside
Maryland Injury Attorney Blog Nov. 11, 2022
Sources:
Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration Hopes to Reduce Roadway Fatalities in 2024
CBS News Baltimore Dec. 29, 2023
Crashes Are No Accident
Zero Deaths Maryland collected online Jan. 24, 2024