​Work Zone Crashes, Fatalities and Speed Citations Show Declines in 2025 

(April 21, 2026) – Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today joined officials from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Federal Highway Administration and others at one of the state’s largest transportation projects to stress the responsibility all Marylanders share to keep highway workers safe as they improve our transportation network.

“The high-quality roads, bridges and other transportation facilities Marylanders need don’t appear magically,” said Lt. Governor Miller, who spoke at the site of the $270 million MD 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) and Suitland Parkway interchange project. “They are built on the labor of the men and women who work in all kinds of weather – sometimes just inches from high-speed traffic. We must protect them.”

The Lt. Governor was joined by Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Maryland Division Administrator Valeriya Remezova, Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson, other MDOT officials and industry partners. 

The event was part of the observance of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 20-24, with the theme, Safe Actions Save Lives. Officials released data showing decreases in 2025 for work zone crashes, fatalities and injuries compared to 2024, as well as a reduction in citations in the first full year of Maryland’s new tiered fine structure for work zone speed violations.

“MDOT is Serious About Safety, and our work zones must be areas of heightened awareness to protect our crews, contractors and the traveling public,” said Transportation Secretary Thomson. “National Work Zone Awareness Week carries a message we need to hear: Stay alert, slow down, eliminate all distractions and Move Over when possible in work zones to give crews an extra lane for safety. Safety is a shared responsibility and as MDOT continues to push forward to save lives, we need everyone to do their part.”

Building on the progress from Governor Moore’s Work Zone Safety Work Group, which was chaired by Lt. Governor Miller, several safety-related bills targeting dangerous driving behavior and impairment passed the General Assembly this year. Maryland will have an expanded toolbox for holding out-of-state drivers accountable. MDOT looks forward to engaging with other states to roll out reciprocal agreements that promote safety. The Department also will work closely with local partners to bring automated speed enforcement along major safety corridors to help curb aggressive driving. Lastly, the state’s ignition interlock program will be more accessible by allowing drivers with an alcohol restriction on their license to automatically opt into the program.

“We remain committed to providing safety to all who travel or work on Maryland highways,” said State Police Superintendent Jackson. “Along with our allied law enforcement partners throughout the state, we work daily to enforce traffic laws, educate the public, and promote work zone awareness in our ongoing effort to save lives.”

Each day, about 300 highway construction, maintenance and utility work zones are in operation across Maryland, with more than 1,000 workers deployed. From 2020 to 2024, Maryland experienced an average of more than 1,300 work zone-related crashes each year. There also were 2,365 injuries and 50 deaths during that period.

Many of the injuries and deaths are suffered by vehicle drivers and passengers as well as work zone crews. In 2025, Maryland recorded:

As of early April, there were 222 work zone crashes in 2026, with two fatalities and 53 injuries.​​​

Maryland Work Zone Crashes

“We’re encouraged that the numbers are declining, but frankly it’s not enough and it’s not acceptable that anyone should lose their life doing their job,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “Numbers are no comfort to the families that said goodbye to their husbands, wives, sons and daughters for the last time on those fateful days.”

Officials also announced data from the first full year of Maryland’s new tiered fine structure for work zone speed violations. Implemented as a result of the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024, the tiered system applies to citations issued from Automated Speed Enforcement and imposes fines based on the speed a vehicle travels above the posted speed limit. Fines are doubled when workers are present.

While that’s a small sample, the hope is that heightened awareness and the new fine structure is helping lower speeds and change driver behaviors in work zones. Still, more must be done. Among citations issued this past year, 19 involved drivers recorded by ASE traveling in excess of 130 mph in a work zone.

“Engineering improvements or enforcement alone will not eliminate unsafe driving on our roadways,” said Chrissy Nizer, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administrator and Governor Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “Achieving zero fatalities on our roadways requires a multifaceted approach — one that includes educating drivers about the impact of their decisions and reaching young people early to build safe habits and awareness before they begin driving.” 

In her remarks, FHWA Maryland Division Administrator Remezova said the agency was initiating a request for input for public art and design for a national memorial for fallen highway workers.

“Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Administrator Remezova said. “Our nation’s roadway workers are counting on all of us to keep them safe in work zones so they can return home to their families when their shifts are over.”

The National Work Zone Awareness Week event was attended by several K-12 students who won prizes in a Work Zone Safety Poster Contest hosted by the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) and the Maryland State Department of Education. The contest intends to teach young people about the importance of safe driving, especially in work zones. In addition to the poster contest, MHSO continues to deliver its work zone safety campaign on social media, billboards, digital ads, streaming services, cable television and beyond. For details, visit  ZeroDeathsMD.gov/WorkZone. 

Governor Moore proclaimed Wednesday, April 22, as “Go Orange Day,” directing Government House in Annapolis to be lit orange and urging Marylanders to wear orange to support work zone safety. Also on April 22, the fourth annual Unity Ride procession of state and contractor vehicles will take place around the west side of I-695, passing by the site of the March 2023 work zone crash that claimed six lives. After the Unity Ride, a safety fair with training elements for state workers and industry partners will take place at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium. 

Other National Work Zone Awareness Week events include a social media blitz of safety messaging on Thursday, April 23, and a moment of silence at noon Friday, April 24, to honor lives lost in work zone crashes. 

“We are advocating proactive ways to help make our roads safer,” said Mike Higgins, General Manager of Concrete General Inc. “Just do a small part… slow down, put the phones down, and pay attention when you are driving, especially in our work zones. And promote this with your family and friends.”

“When you see us, you’re not just seeing workers,” said Dawn Hopkins, a safety advocate and worker for Flagger Force Traffic Control Services. “You’re seeing real people. Parents. Siblings. Neighbors and friends. There’s zero margin for error. Every passing vehicle reminds us that our safety is in the hands of the driver.”

MDOT’s Serious About Safety ​initiative is a department-wide commitment to advance improvements that drive safety goals and save lives. For a list of major State Highway Administration projects, news and travel information, visit roads.maryland.gov​. 

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For photos and video from today’s event, contact the SHA Office of Communications at 410-545-0303 or [email protected]​