Behavioral changes and geographic information systems (GIS) will drive safety and lower fatalities on Maryland roadways. 

A panel of experts on highway and roadway safety shared that improvements are being made to keep residents safe on the roads, but behavioral changes will keep the fatality numbers tracking in the right direction. The session, “Pump the Brakes: Addressing Maryland’s Traffic Fatality Crisis,” hosted state and local representatives across Maryland to discuss what the challenges are and what is making a difference.

The discussion began with Motor Vehicle Administrator Christine Nizer sharing that while 2023 was one of the worst years on the roadways, the state has begun to see mild improvement. She cautioned though, that this is the right direction but the decline must continue because 2023 was uniquely high. Local action plans between local jurisdictions and the state can also play a role here. These types of collaborations were highlighted further by members of the panel from both law enforcement and engineering backgrounds. Both relied heavily on the information exchange between state and local officials regarding sensitive, high-crash areas, and GIS systems to implement and track solutions.