drunk driving accidents

June 24, 2026

Maryland’s “100 Deadliest Days” of Summer Begins with 13 Lives Lost in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Summer is officially here, with the kids out of school, family vacations planned, and cookouts, get-togethers, and other parties on the calendar. It’s a happy time where we can all look forward to longer days and some well-earned rest and relaxation with friends and loved ones.

It’s also the most dangerous time for serious and fatal traffic accidents in Maryland.

The time span between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the “100 Deadliest Days” for traffic crashes across the United States. Maryland is already off to a bad start this summer, with CBS News Baltimore reporting 13 traffic accident fatalities across the state this month as of June 15, 2026 — including 2 pedestrians, a passenger, and 10 drivers, data shows.

A number of factors contribute to this critical public safety issue, including…

July 18, 2022

Maryland Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities Up During COVID-19 Pandemic

by Jeff Butschky

In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer vehicles were on our nation’s roadways, as people worked from home, schools and businesses closed their doors, and states issued stay-at-home orders and other emergency restrictions. Now, two-and-a-half years into dealing with the coronavirus, professionals are returning to their offices, schools are back to onsite learning, businesses have resumed operations, and public health restrictions have eased or been lifted.

If life is getting back to normal, then why are motor vehicle accident fatality rates the highest they’ve been in years? This disturbing national trend can be seen here in Maryland, where 255 auto accident deaths have already occurred as of July 1, 2022, according to Zero Deaths Maryland.

January 15, 2017

Maryland Motor Vehicle Accident Deaths Increase

by Jeff Butschky

Deaths due to motor vehicle accidents had been decreasing for several years, here in Maryland and across the U.S. However, last year that trend took a turn for the worse — with the deadliest traffic accident fatality statistics seen in decades. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reports that a total 35,092 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2015 — up 7.2 percent compared to 2014. Alcohol-impaired traffic accidents accounted for a significant number of fatalities, with 10,265 deaths resulting from driving under the influence (DUI) crashes in 2015. An average of 28 people a day were killed in DUI motor vehicle accidents in 2016.

A NHTSA spokesperson told CBS News, “We’re seeing these increases that we have not seen in 50 years. It’s tragic.” The government agency is trying to determine why motor vehicle accident fatalities are on the increase, after so many years of progress making our roads and highways safer and saving lives. And despite our state’s traffic safety laws, motor vehicle crash fatality statistics in Maryland are also trending in the wrong direction.