Efforts to make Montgomery Co. roads safer appear to be working, report finds – WTOP News

The number of serious and deadly crashes in Montgomery County, Maryland, dropped 11% compared to pre-COVID years, according to an annual report.

The latest report on the county’s “Vision Zero Initiative” tracked crashes that happened between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024,

There was a 28% reduction on high injury network corridors, where the county prioritized safety projects, according to the county’s report. Those are the stretches of road with the highest concentration of collisions.

Montgomery County has an ambitious goal to end traffic deaths by the end of 2030. As of today, there have been 508 reported fatalities this year. This time last year, there were 561 reported fatalities.

For years, Montgomery County has said one of its priorities is making it safer to cross the street. Four traffic signals and four pedestrian hybrid beacons were installed at crosswalks. Law enforcement also focused on speeding and impaired driving, issuing 15,795 traffic stops for excessive speeding during the last reporting year. The county has also invested heavily in bikeway projects, new sidewalk construction and community outreach.

The downward trend in Montgomery County is in contrast to alarming nationwide data. Traffic deaths in the U.S. remain at high levels compared to before the pandemic. Reuters reports the National Transportation Safety Board Chair called it a growing public-health crisis and said American roads have become deadlier over the last several decades, unlike most developed nations.

The county continues to remind drivers to do their part keeping the roads safe by putting away their phones, buckling up, obeying the speed limit and never driving while impaired.

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