Crime & Safety
Maryland's New Crash Data Comes With A Warning For Drivers
Compared against figures from 2025, Maryland is recording a downward trend in road fatalities this year.
New data is showing that Maryland recorded a decline in road-related deaths in 2026, despite the state reporting 10 such fatalities in just one week alone this month.
Latest crash figures released by the state's Highway Safety Office show Maryland reported a total of 258 fatalities in all of 2025. In 2026, however, the state has already recorded 218 deaths to date.
Between 2019 and 2023, findings showed alcohol and drug usage, distracted driving, and speeding were the top three causes for road deaths. The highest tallies traced back to Baltimore, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.
Find out what's happening in Across Marylandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Over the five years, alcohol and drug use accounted for an average of 142 fatalities, distracted driving for 210 deaths, and speeding for 91.
Find out what's happening in Across Marylandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Of the Old Line State's more than 20 counties, Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore are considered the three most populous.
Five-year averages indicate most distracted driving cases were recorded toward the end of the week between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.
A total of 663 fatal crash cases from 2019 to 2023 involved a pedestrian traveling on foot, whereas 70 incidents were tied to cyclists.
The latest figures come after Maryland announced the start of its "Slow the Fast Down" campaign at the start of the month, which Gov. Wes Moore hailed as a way to "cut through the noise" and "get people's attention."
“The safety of Marylanders is my number one priority,” Moore said in a statement. “The ‘Slow the Fast Down’ campaign is a refusal to accept the status quo on our roadways, inspiring more drivers across Maryland to ease off the gas and put the brakes on aggressive and reckless driving to continue our decline in traffic deaths and injuries for a second straight year.”
A full account of the road crashes can be found online.
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