Maryland Fatal Crash Statistics
In 2014, Maryland experienced the least traffic fatalities then over the ten years prior. From reduced numbers of drunk drivers and speeders to more people wearing seatbelts and helmets, the state and its drivers have worked hard to improve the safety of its roadways. Pedestrians fatalities, however, remain stubbornly high.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 442 people died in fatal traffic accidents in 2014 after falling steadily from a ten-year high of 652 in 2006. Of the total of people who died in these crashes, 255 were in passenger vehicles and sadly, 96 of them were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident. Ten years prior, 178 of the 397 passenger vehicle occupants who died in accidents were not wearing their restraints.
Drivers are being more responsible than ever as far as getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. In fact, 130 fatalities involved alcohol-impaired drivers, down from 189 in 2006. State government and local law enforcement officials must continue to work to reduce these numbers if Maryland is going to fulfill the goal of zero preventable traffic deaths.
Speed related fatal accidents also dropped over a ten-year period from a high of 239 in 2006 to a low of 134 in 2014. The steady decline in speeding accidents suggests that more drivers are making a conscious decision to put safety before their busy schedules.
Motorcyclists, Pedestrians, and Bicyclists
The Universal Helmet Law was enacted in 1992, and as such, the number of unhelmeted motorcycle riders who die in motor vehicle crashes has remained relatively low, from a high of 12 in 2010 to a low of five in 2013.
Pedestrian deaths, however, have remained far too high, with 101 walkers and joggers losing their lives in motor vehicle accidents in 2014, down from a high of 116 and a low of 95. Clearly, more needs to be done to keep the roads most vulnerable users safer from the motor vehicles with which they share the road.
Bicycle fatalities fell from a high of 10 in 2009 to a low of five in 2014. While the number of cyclists who are killed in motor vehicle collisions has remained low, it is another troublesome area where more needs to be done to separate cyclists from the larger and more deadly vehicles.
Have You Been Injured in a Car Accident? Call Us Today!
America’s highways and bi-ways are dangerous. If you’ve been injured in a car accident or lost a loved one in a fatal crash, you need a dedicated team of attorneys and legal professionals fighting for your rights. Our attorneys have a long and proven record of helping the victims of car accidents get the compensation they deserve.
Call us today if you or a loved one were injured in a
- Commercial bus crashes
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We’ll fight insurance companies, negligent operators, and reckless drivers to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.