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US Route 40
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 166Deaths 178Counties 7Latest data year 2024
FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024. The route is the trafficway recorded for each crash (FARS TWAY_ID); the same route number in another state has its own page.
US Route 40 in Maryland was the trafficway in 166 fatal crashes between 2015 and 2024, in which 178 people died.
That is 3.2% of the 5,195 fatal crashes in Maryland over the same years. The ten-year crash count rose 19% from 140 in 2005–2014 to 166 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Baltimore County (50), Cecil County (27) and Harford County (27) and 4 other counties.
15.1% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Maryland: 27.9%) and 19.3% had a speeding-related driver (26.2%); pedestrians were 43.8% and motorcyclists 10.7% of those killed.
Fatal crashes per year
Route identification in FARS is consistent from 2000; earlier years are not shown. Shaded band: the ten-year window used for the shares below.
Compared with all fatal crashes in Maryland
| Measure | US Route 40 | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 166 | 5,195 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 178 | 5,548 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 3.2% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | +19% | +4% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on US-40 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore County | 50 | 30% | 675 |
| 2 | Cecil County | 27 | 16% | 200 |
| 3 | Harford County | 27 | 16% | 180 |
| 4 | Washington County | 23 | 14% | 153 |
| 5 | Baltimore city | 21 | 13% | 464 |
| 6 | Frederick County | 12 | 7% | 229 |
| 7 | Howard County | 6 | 4% | 225 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on US Route 40 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Maryland share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 15–20 | 34 | 20% |
| Mile 10–15 | 33 | 20% |
| Mile 0–5 | 29 | 17% |
| Mile 5–10 | 24 | 14% |
| Mile 35–40 | 15 | 9% |
| Mile 20–25 | 6 | 4% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 91% of crashes on the route have a milepoint. Milepoints are as recorded by the state and can restart at county or district lines.
Other routes in Maryland
- Interstate 95 234
- US Route 1 145
- US Route 301 127
- US Route 50 110
- Interstate 70 109
- State Route 5 108
- State Route 295 85
- State Route 2 80
- Interstate 695 79
- State Route 4 72
- State Route 140 59
- State Route 26 58
All routes and counties in Maryland
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on US Route 40 in Maryland?
166 fatal crashes with 178 deaths over 2015–2024, per NHTSA's FARS. The route is the trafficway recorded for the crash; the same numbered route in another state has its own page.
Which counties along US Route 40 had the most fatal crashes?
Baltimore County (50), Cecil County (27), Harford County (27), Washington County (23) and Baltimore city (21).
What share of crashes on US Route 40 involved alcohol or speeding?
15.1% had a driver reported as drinking and 19.3% a speeding-related driver, against 27.9% and 26.2% for all fatal crashes in Maryland.
When do fatal crashes happen on US Route 40?
63.9% of the crashes were between 6pm and 6am. The hour chart on this page shows the full distribution.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 2000–2024 (accident, vehicle and person tables), public domain. Route pages are built for signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology and corrections.