This article was republished with permission from 草莓传媒’s news partners at .聽Sign up for today.
Maryland State Police Lt. David Ryan remembers every family notification he has delivered after a fatal highway accident.
鈥淚 can recount with photographic precision what the furniture looked like, what was on the walls, what was on the refrigerator, what everybody was wearing and what they said,鈥� Ryan told local officials Friday. 鈥淎nd the emotion was powerful. Time stands still, and it happens right in front of the police officer.
鈥淚f I could capture that, that wave of human emotion, and share it with everybody, we wouldn鈥檛 be having this conference,鈥� said Ryan, commander of the Maryland Department of State Police Traffic Incident Management Section.
鈥淭his conference鈥� was a session on the state鈥檚 high number of roadway fatalities at the Maryland Association of Counties summer convention.
State and local officials Friday called for continued efforts to reduce highway fatalities in the state, which are on pace to exceed 550 this year.
There were 621 fatalities on Maryland roads and highways in 2023.
鈥淟ast year our fatalities were the highest number we鈥檝e seen since 2007,鈥� said Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Administrator Chrissy Nizer. 鈥淚t was really a tough year in terms of what we were seeing on the roadways.鈥�
So far this year, 351 people have died on state roads and highways 鈥� a 6% decrease compared to the same time a year ago.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving in the right direction, and that鈥檚 what we all strive for,鈥� said Nizer.
But she cautioned that the underlying factors behind the high number of roadway deaths remain the same: speed, not wearing a seat belt, impairment, and distracted driving.
鈥淭his reckless, reckless behavior has devastating consequences, and that occurs all too frequently,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淭he commonality of the excuses I鈥檝e heard: I just want to get home, I was going with the flow 鈥� I didn鈥檛 realize my speed.
鈥淚 actually had somebody say, 鈥業 can鈥檛 drive 55.鈥� That鈥檚 true. He actually said that,鈥� Ryan said.
If the state finishes the year with 6% fewer fatalities than 2023, it will still be more than the 566 who died in 2022.
Nizer avoids the word accident when talking about these deaths.
鈥淲hat I always want to emphasize is that those common causes of crashes and fatalities are all choices,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e choosing to speed. You鈥檙e choosing to pick up your cellphone. You鈥檙e choosing to drink and get behind the wheel.鈥�
Nizer said using the word 鈥渁ccident鈥� minimizes the impact of deaths on surviving family members and 鈥� it minimizes our ability to make a change.鈥�
Nizer and others are calling for increased enforcement and public awareness, as the state presses to reduce the number of fatalities on roads in the state to zero by 2030 鈥� a mandate set in state law.
Nizer said the law 鈥渋s somewhat unique across the country, but it鈥檚 something that just shows how seriously our leaders, our elected leaders, feel about highway safety and reaching zero fatalities.鈥�
鈥淲e always like to stress that it really is a multidisciplinary approach. It鈥檚 not a one-size solution, unfortunately, which is what makes it so complex and so difficult to try to get down to that goal of zero, but it is so important,鈥� Nizer said.
A state law that took effect in June doubled the fine for speeding in highway work zones to $80. Those fines will increase again in January. The tiered penalties that go into effect raise the fines to as much as $1,000 based on factors including speed and the presence of workers.
Nizer said it鈥檚 too soon to attribute the decrease from last year to this year to any one factor. She said the drop may be a return to an already high level after a one-year spike.
鈥淲e focus on fatalities because of the finality. Clearly, it鈥檚 the most tragic job anyone can have,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淚鈥檇 also like everybody to think about the physical, mental injuries that can be life altering. Think about the inconveniences caused to everyone on the roadways. The massive delays. The missed opportunities.
鈥淭housands of Marylanders face this almost daily on one road or another,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll these people are just trying to get home.鈥�
