It happened, on average, more than once a day last year. In fact, preliminary data shows that for the second year in a row, exactly 563 people died on Maryland roads in 2022.
The new numbers were released Wednesday by the state of Maryland. In 2022, 135 pedestrians died on state roads, up by four from 2021. Another 11 bicyclists were killed, up five from 2021.
The four “persistent” causes of death, according to state leaders, were speeding and aggressive driving, drug and alcohol impairment, distracted driving, and the failure to use seat belts. And they’re happening at similar rates as in 2020, when those numbers all spiked up.
“Unfortunately, during the pandemic, speeds were up on the roadways, there were less cars, and so the cars that were out there were driving faster,” said Chrissy Nizer, the head of Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration. “Now the traffic is starting to return to a more normal pattern and people are still driving too fast.”
Click here to read the rest of the article written by John Domen over at WTOP
