Maryland Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Emphasis Area #3d – Make Walking and Crossing Streets Safer

Typically, between 95 and 110 pedestrians are fatally injured on Maryland’s streets and highways each year. Pedestrian fatalities comprise about 20 percent of all traffic deaths. About 12 percent of fatally injured pedestrians are 15 years or younger and another 19 percent are 65 years or older. Nearly 3,000 pedestrians are injured annually, more than one-third of which occur in Baltimore City and more than another one-third of which occur in Baltimore, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties. Pedestrians 15 years of age and younger are particularly vulnerable to being injured – over 30 percent of injured pedestrians are in this age group.

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Maryland Data

The emphasis area team found that the majority of pedestrian crashes and incidents in Maryland occur in five jurisdictions; Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and Anne Arundel County. A large proportion of the crashes occur during the afternoon rush hour and the majority do not happen in intersections. The majority of pedestrians who are injured or killed are between 21 and 49 years of age while the majority of at-fault drivers are males between 12 and 39 years of age. While the data show that fatalities (Figure 20) have decreased from 123 in 1996 to 101 in 2005, pedestrian injuries (Figure 21) have remained fairly constant at the 2,500 level.

Priority Strategies

• Conduct periodic assessment of locations with growing traffic and pedestrian volumes and conduct road safety audits at those locations at greatest risk for pedestrian fatalities and injuries and share information with state and local partners.
• Implement effective countermeasures for problem areas as determined by safety assessments and road safety audits.
• Educate the judiciary on the importance of penalties for violation of pedestrian laws.

<a href="http://www.marylandroads.com/oots/SHSP.pdf">http://www.marylandroads.com/oots/SHSP.pdf</a>;
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Baltimore Spokes Comments:

WHAT NO ENFORCEMENT FOR DRIVES TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS IN CROSSWALKS???
Maryland has the 8th highest rate of pedestrian traffic fatalities per capita in the Nation and no major pedestrian advocacy group was on the committee??? Come on now.