| WHAT: The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), including the MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA), MDOT State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), along with Maryland State Police, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and AAA Mid-Atlantic, are partnering to remind motorists to stay safe and moving as the state approaches summer travel. With the anticipation of Marylanders traveling more this summer now that vaccines are widely available, officials are stressing safety and seeking to reverse unsafe driving habits that emerged during the pandemic.
WHERE:
Maryland Transportation Authority – Bay Bridge Facility
889 Oceanic Drive
Annapolis, MD 21409
*Staff on site will direct media to event location*
WHEN:
Thursday, May 27, 2021
12 p.m.
WHO:
Greg Slater, Secretary, MDOT
Chrissy Nizer, Administrator, MDOT MVA and Governor Larry Hogan’s Highway Safety Representative
Jim Ports, Executive Director, MDTA
Tim Smith, Administrator, MDOT SHA
Lt. Colonel Roland Butler, Chief of the Field Operation Bureau, Maryland State Police
Colonel Adrian Baker, Superintendent, Maryland Natural Resources Police
Ragina Ali, Public & Government Affairs Manager, AAA Mid-Atlantic
INFO:
Despite fewer drivers on the road due to COVID-19, motor vehicle crashes on Maryland roadways claimed 571 lives in 2020, an increase from 535 deaths the previous year. Initial police reports show increased speed, increased instances of impairment and lower seat belt use as the most common contributing factors in motor vehicle fatalities. The state’s seat belt use rate also dropped below 90% for the first time in years. According to the data from 2020, nearly 42% of all fatalities in the state occurred during from June through September, with the deadliest month occurring in August when Maryland experienced 73 fatalities. At the height of the pandemic, traffic on Maryland roadways was down more than 50% compared to the previous year. However, volumes have gradually returned. For the week of May 10, statewide volumes were down 8% from pre-pandemic levels.
###
|
