Last year, 442 people died in accidents on Maryland roadways. That number is a huge improvement from the record number of 872 deaths reported in 1968. The number of deaths in 2014 is lower by 24 deaths compared to 2013.
The significant increase in driver distractions (i.e. talking on cell phones and texting), while still causing accidents, are not at the extreme levels seen in previous years. Maryland Transportation Authority officials also announced that traffic fatalities linked to drunk driving decreased by 19 between 2013 and 2014 to a total of 133 deaths. However, one statistic is still startling: someone is killed every 66 hours in Maryland because of impaired driving.
The state of Maryland still continues to work toward achieving its goal of zero traffic deaths, and although 442 deaths is still a long way from zero, tremendous progress continues to be made. Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn is pleased with the improvement being made, “especially when you consider the millions more cars we have on the road today.” Rahn credits emergency responders and stricter laws against drunk driving and aggressive driving for the decline in deaths. Transportation officials will continue to focus on the “four E’s” of highway safety: engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency response.
One area of improvement is seat belt usage. While laws have been in place requiring seat belts to be worn in cars for several years, 8 percent of Maryland drivers do not abide by the law. In 2014, 37.5 percent of the deaths involved drivers or passengers not wearing seatbelts.
Some other interesting statistics from the 2014 data show that a majority of the traffic deaths occurred in Prince George’s County and Baltimore County, while the fewest occurred in Howard and Carroll Counties. Also included in the total fatalities number is 100 pedestrian deaths and 66 motorcycle accident deaths (the only major statistic to increase from 2013).
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car, truck, or bus accident or has died as a result of their injury suffered in a Maryland crash and would like more information, please call us at (410) 995-1515 for a free case evaluation or visit us online.
