Maryland Department of Transportation

Serious About Safety title slide show with pictures of MDOT travel modes, Serious About Safety logo, and the caption MDOT's Commitment to Safety Across Maryland's Transportation Network

At the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), we strive to provide the safest transportation network in the nation. As a Vision Zero state, we are committed to eliminating all vehicle-related deaths and serious injuries on our roadways by 2030.

Despite our proactive efforts in engineering, education, and enforcement, too many lives are still lost on our roadways. That’s why we are intensifying our safety initiatives with a dynamic, department-wide campaign.

Together, we can create a safe Maryland for all. To learn more about Serious About Safety and to get involved, please contact: [email protected]

The Serious About Safety program is at the heart of MDOT's commitment to safety, emphasizing Four key pillars:

MDOT-led Initiatives

Transforming our business practices to prioritize safety in every project, policy, and standard we implement.

Legislative Action

Championing and collaborating on legislation essential for enhancing safety outcomes across the state.

Collaborative Advocacy

Leading and partnering to deliver bold and measurable action needed to improve safety outcomes.

Customer Engagement

Raising awareness through targeted outreach and education.

MDOT Modal Safety Work

Serious about Safety builds upon the important safety programs and initiatives already underway at MDOT’s Modal Administrations – the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA); the Maryland Port Administration (MPA); the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA); the State Highway Administration (SHA); the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) – and Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) that are a part of MDOT.

Large highway with concrete divider and numerous cars on either side

Vision Zero and Strategic Safety Plans

Overhead view of pedestrians walking through a large crosswalk from one side of a street to another

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Programs

White 18-wheeler truck driving down a highway past plastic orange traffic barrels

Roadway and Infrastructure Safety

MDOT's black safety promotion vehicle with a crash test dummy inside and text on the outside that reads buckle up. every seat, every ride.

Driver Behavior and Public Awareness Campaigns

Maryland State Trooper Mobile Breath Testing and DUI Enforcement vehicle

Law Enforcement and Compliance Programs

Yellow MDOT Emergency Patrol truck with a plow in front

Emergency Response and Medical Services

An office with computer monitors and TV screens with a man showing something on this screen to a woman standing behind him

Data, Emerging Technology, and Innovation

Three safety workers talking to each other next to a fence and wearing high visibility vests and hard hats

Occupational Safety and Health

  • OSHA Compliance Inspections Program
  • SHA Worker Safety Training and Certification
  • Health and safety equipment program for first aid, CPR, AEDs, and personal protective equipment
Person boarding a bus looking at bus looking at an MDOT bus operator behind the wheel

Systemwide Safety

  • MTA Safety Management Systems
  • MTA Joint Safety Committee
  • MTA Safety and Security Certification Program
Light blue car promoting the Safe Kids initiative with a sign denoting the outside temperature, the vehicle temperature, and the text Never Leave a Child Alone in a Car

Local and Community-Based Safety Initiatives

Why is MDOT Focused on Safety?

Maryland is a Vision Zero state with a commitment to reach zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. While MDOT has focused on improving transportation safety outcomes, the statistics show that Maryland is not on target to achieve its Vision Zero objectives.

Graph 1: A combined bar and line graph titled Maryland Moter Vehicle Crashes Serious Injuries and Serious Injury Rate 2012-2023' that shows injuries ranging from 2,598 to 3,347 a year, and a serious injury rate per 100 MVMT ranging from 4.53 to 5.87. The overall trend is relatively flat with minor fluctuations year-to-year. Graph 2:  A combined bar and line graph titled Maryland Motor Vehicle Crashes Fatalities and Fatality Rate 2012-2023 that shows fatalities ranging from 443 to 621, and the fatality rate per 100 MVMT ranging from .79 to 1.13. The numbers fluctuate year to year with a large spike in the fatality rate in 2020, and 2023 showing the highest number of fatalities.

The heavy cost of crashes can be measured in other ways, too. Everyone recognizes that maintaining our infrastructure and reducing congestion is important. But the costs of inaction on those fronts in Maryland are eclipsed by the costs of crashes including, for example, medical care, market productivity, legal costs, and property damage. Specifically, annual safety costs are more than 2.5 times that of congestion and more than 5 times that of infrastructure in need of repair.

Graph 3: A bar graph titled Annual Cost of Inaction to Marylanders that shows Safety costs $15 billion, Congestion costs close to $6 billion, and State of Good Repair costs approximately $3 billion.

Safety cost calculated using methods described in the Crash Cost for Highway Safety Analysis (FHWA-SA-17-071), Chapter 6, FHWA Office of Safety 2021. Congestion cost from Keeping Maryland Mobile: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Old Line State, TRIP, May 2023. State of Good Repair cost is from ASCE 2021 Infrastructure Report Card.