Fatal Roads

States › Maryland

MD

State

Maryland

Residents 6,263,220Deaths 2024 578Deaths 2015–2024 5,548Counties 24Routes with pages 47

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.

In 2024, 578 people died in 552 fatal crashes in Maryland; the ten years 2015–2024 total 5,548 deaths in 5,195 crashes.

That is 9.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 23% lower than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total was about level between 2005–2014 (5,419) and 2015–2024 (5,548).

Relative to the national shares, pedestrians stands out most: 23.1% of people killed against 17.1% nationally. 18.6% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 54.2% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Caroline County (22.5), Garrett County (22.1) and Cecil County (21.0).

578deaths in 2024552 fatal crashes
9.1per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+2%ten-year change in deaths5,419 → 5,548
28%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0407814197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 670 deaths1976: 660 deaths1977: 661 deaths1978: 711 deaths1979: 671 deaths1980: 756 deaths1981: 781 deaths1982: 640 deaths1983: 656 deaths1984: 643 deaths1985: 729 deaths1986: 784 deaths1987: 814 deaths1988: 781 deaths1989: 726 deaths1990: 707 deaths1991: 694 deaths1992: 659 deaths1993: 666 deaths1994: 651 deaths1995: 671 deaths1996: 608 deaths1997: 611 deaths1998: 606 deaths1999: 590 deaths2000: 588 deaths2001: 659 deaths2002: 661 deaths2003: 650 deaths2004: 643 deaths2005: 614 deaths2006: 652 deaths2007: 614 deaths2008: 591 deaths2009: 549 deaths2010: 496 deaths2011: 485 deaths2012: 511 deaths2013: 465 deaths2014: 442 deaths2015: 520 deaths2016: 522 deaths2017: 558 deaths2018: 512 deaths2019: 535 deaths2020: 573 deaths2021: 563 deaths2022: 566 deaths2023: 621 deaths2024: 578 deaths
People killed in crashes in Maryland by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 578 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

08152000200520102015202020242000: 11.12001: 12.32002: 12.12003: 11.82004: 11.62005: 112006: 11.62007: 10.92008: 10.42009: 9.62010: 8.62011: 8.32012: 8.72013: 7.82014: 7.42015: 8.72016: 8.72017: 9.32018: 8.52019: 8.82020: 9.32021: 9.12022: 9.12023: 102024: 9.2
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Maryland and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 9.2. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureMarylandUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–20249.111.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 20249.211.5
Deaths, 2015–20245,548389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+2%+7%
Share of the national toll1.4%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking27.9%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver26.2%
Pedestriansshare of people killed23.1%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed14.5%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used43.4%
In darknesscrashes after dark54.2%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads18.6%

tick marks the US share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Caroline County34,2487522.51022%22%
2Garrett County28,3936422.1334%25%
3Cecil County106,30521821.02426%29%
4Worcester County54,33711020.9740%27%
5Kent County19,5573015.4036%25%
6Dorchester County33,1384915.1727%11%
7Charles County174,47824614.93732%29%
8Somerset County25,2413714.6425%17%
9Queen Anne's County53,6887314.4735%20%
10Talbot County38,2445113.6337%27%
11St. Mary's County116,46914112.41338%30%
12Wicomico County106,32912912.41731%19%
13Prince George's County966,6291,09011.710130%27%
14Allegany County67,0977911.41028%19%
15Washington County157,22816610.91424%25%
16Calvert County94,9139710.41437%26%
17Frederick County299,3172368.82325%28%
18Carroll County177,1081478.61625%16%
19Baltimore County852,4257148.57427%26%
20Baltimore city568,2714918.36121%33%
21Anne Arundel County602,3504547.85229%28%
22Harford County265,5141907.41324%21%
23Howard County339,6682367.22129%28%
24Montgomery County1,082,2734254.04725%23%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 95Interstate23425232%31%
2US Route 40US highway16617815%19%
3US Route 1US highway14516117%26%
4US Route 301US highway12714230%22%
5US Route 50US highway11011838%23%
6Interstate 70Interstate10911417%21%
7State Route 5State highway10811232%32%
8State Route 295State highway858942%46%
9State Route 2State highway808519%10%
10Interstate 695Interstate798835%37%
11State Route 4State highway727938%32%
12State Route 140State highway596417%22%
13State Route 26State highway586117%31%
14State Route 214State highway535415%15%
15State Route 210State highway444725%16%
16State Route 97State highway444523%18%
17Interstate 83Interstate434830%33%
18State Route 355State highway404025%13%
19Interstate 270Interstate394223%28%
20US Route 15US highway393910%8%
21State Route 202State highway353620%31%
22State Route 450State highway343612%18%
23State Route 193State highway333421%12%
24State Route 150State highway323531%25%
25US Route 13US highway323516%13%
26Interstate 68Interstate323519%28%
27State Route 235State highway283221%29%
28Interstate 97Interstate283029%39%
29State Route 32State highway282818%14%
30State Route 3State highway262923%23%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 47 routes in Maryland qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in Maryland by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 5,193 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday18%
Sunday17%
Friday14%
Thursday14%
Monday13%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday12%

Light condition

Daylight41%
Dark, lighted28%
Dark, not lighted24%
Dusk2%
Dark, lighting unknown2%
Dawn2%

Road type

Other principal arterial34%
Minor arterial21%
Major collector13%
Interstate13%
Local9%
Other freeways and expressways7%
Minor collector2%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Maryland in 2024?

578 people in 552 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 5,548.

How does Maryland compare with the national rate?

9.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 9.2 against 11.5.

Which counties in Maryland have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Prince George's County (1,090), Baltimore County (714) and Baltimore city (491). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in Maryland involved alcohol or speeding?

27.9% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 26.2% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Maryland have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 95 (234 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 40 (166 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 1 (145 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.