Crash spurs work zone safety priority
One year ago, six of our neighbors lost their lives on the Baltimore Beltway in one of the worst work zone crashes in American history. They came to work that day to help make Maryland’s highway system better, safer and more accessible for all. They never made it home.
In the days following the I-695 crash, I attended the funerals and met the families of those killed. Gov. Wes Moore and I assured them that all of us in the Moore-Miller administration would commit to enhancing protections for everyone in our highway work zones. One year later, we’ve been making good on our commitments — but in order to continue this work, we will need the help of each and every Marylander in all parts of our state.
On any given day, there are 300 state road work zones set up in Maryland, with approximately 1,000 state employees and contractors stationed along roadways, putting them in harm’s way. In 2023, drivers crashed into more than 1,200 Maryland work zones. That’s more than three crashes per day.
And workers aren’t the only people in danger when we fail to slow down, drive sober or pay attention in work zones. Statistics show that 85% of those killed in work zone crashes are drivers or passengers on their way to work, school and other destinations.
Since the March 22, 2023, tragedy, our administration has worked to explore ways to prevent future tragedies. Governor Moore created the Maryland
Work Zone Safety Work Group last spring, and I was honored to lead this important initiative. This work isn’t just political — it’s personal. Before I ever ran for public office, I was a transportation engineer. This issue is close to home.
The work group has gathered invaluable input from the Maryland
Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, industry partners, legislators, law enforcement agencies, labor representatives, national safety advocates and the road workers who directly place themselves in harm’s way every day.
Our diligent, collaborative efforts resulted in an ambitious package of recommendations that formed the basis for the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act, which is now being considered in the General Assembly.
The legislation seeks to increase the fines for an automated speed enforcement citation in a work zone and to remove outdated restrictions to allow more flexibility in installing and operating cameras in a work zone.
Currently, Maryland’s $40 fine for a work zone citation is the lowest in the nation.
Our goal is to align the citation with similar offenses that put Marylanders at risk on our highways and specifically in our work zones.
Legislation will help, but we cannot achieve our goal of zero deaths in work zones — and across all our roadways — without changing driver behavior.
Our administration has taken action to increase law enforcement presence in work zones and has worked with the
Maryland Highway Safety Office, the State Highway Administration and others to conduct safety awareness and educational campaigns.
Our message is simple yet crucial: Stay alert, obey speed limits, drive sober and follow the state’s move-over law, which requires you to switch lanes or slow down when encountering a work zone or vehicle with flashing lights along the side of the road.
I call upon all Marylanders, commuters and visitors to our state to remember these commonsense rules when they’re behind the wheel. The safety of everyone traveling and working across Maryland’s transportation network is our top priority. That means the safety of every worker, every driver, every sibling or spouse riding as a passenger, every child in the back seat. Everyone.