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What Are the Leading Causes of Car Accidents in Maryland?

Maryland is home to more than six million people. As a result, our state has some of the busiest roads and highways in the country. Whether traveling alongside locals, tourists, or interstate truckers, drivers in Maryland share the road with an ever-growing number of travelers. Because of this, car accidents are a daily occurrence in the Old Line State.

In an instant, a serious car wreck can turn your life upside down. A crash may leave you facing high medical bills, pain and disability, and time away from work you cannot afford. If you’ve been hurt in a collision, you need an experienced attorney in your corner.

The Baltimore car accident lawyers at The Bishop Law Group have more than 75 years of combined experience in a range of accident cases. We aren’t intimidated by big insurance companies who try to deny or minimize valid claims. We are committed to fighting for your rights and pursuing every penny to which you may be entitled under the law.

Maryland Car Accident Statistics

Car accidents are among the most stressful situations a person can experience. In addition to vehicle damage, car wrecks can inflict severe injuries, financial emergencies, and long-lasting emotional trauma on the lives of accident victims. A serious injury can also put people out of work at a time when they most need financial stability.

What causes the most car accidents in Maryland? Zero Deaths Maryland offers the following statistics:

1. Distracted Driving

Any activity that takes a driver’s attention away from the task of driving is considered distracted driving. In Maryland, like the rest of the United States, distracted driving is the most common cause of traffic accidents.

Whether drivers are eating, drinking, grooming, or adjusting dashboard controls, distractions behind the wheel are incredibly dangerous for everyone on the road. In Maryland, distracted driving accounts for the following: 

  • Total Crashes: 45,378 (5-year average – 54,410)
  • Total Injured: 19,237 (5-year average – 25,672)
  • Total Fatalities: 216 (5-year average – 200)

2. Speeding

Car accidents that involve speeding tend to result in more injuries and fatalities than other types of wrecks. Speeding motorists have less time to react to potential hazards and when collisions occur at high speeds, more intense, violent impacts are involved.

In addition to the sheer force of impact in a high-speed accident, speeding also makes reckless drivers less predictable to those with whom they share the road. Drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and others base their actions on the assumption that other drivers are going the speed limit. When vehicles speed, this assumption can lead to catastrophic injuries and death.

Speeding is linked to the following crash statistics in Maryland:

  • Total Crashes: 7,564 (5-year average – 9,474)
  • Total Injured: 3,027 (5-year average – 4,246)
  • Total Fatalities: 110 (5-year average – 89)

3. Impaired Driving

Impaired driving can negatively affect a motorist’s vision, judgment, and reaction time. Whether under the influence of drugs or alcohol, impaired drivers represent some of the greatest threats to safety on our state’s—and nation’s—roads.

In Maryland, a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or greater is considered to be under the influence of alcohol. Someone who has a BAC of .07 is assumed to be impaired by alcohol.

Zero Deaths Maryland reports that impaired driving is responsible for the following:

  • Total Crashes: 6,150 (5-year average – 6,653)
  • Total Injured: 2,673 (5-year average – 3,073)
  • Total Fatalities: 120 (5-year average – 151)

4. Aggressive Driving

The term aggressive driving encompasses a variety of dangerous driving behaviors. Running red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, speeding, and any combination of these types of activities are generally considered aggressive driving.

When motorists drive aggressively, they endanger others on the road. This danger is only increased when aggressive drivers become extremely angry and exhibit signs of road rage, such as intentionally cutting off other vehicles, yelling, making obscene gestures, and sudden braking or accelerating.

Aggressive driving is associated with the following crash data in Maryland:

  • Total Crashes: 2,962 (5-year average – 4,038)
  • Total Injured: 1,673 (5-year average – 2,299)
  • Total Fatalities: 61 (5-year average – 45)

Call A Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer Today

Even the safest drivers cannot control the actions and behaviors of other people behind the wheel. If another driver’s reckless or careless actions caused your crash, you deserve compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial losses. The Baltimore car accident lawyers at The Bishop Law Group have seen firsthand the devastation these wrecks can impose on accident victims and their families. We are committed to providing exceptional legal representation to help the wrongfully injured get back on track.

See what our clients say about us.

If you’ve been injured in a wreck, contact The Bishop Law Group today online or at (410) 390-3101 for a free case evaluation. Our firm proudly serves clients throughout Maryland, including Baltimore, Ocean City, and other areas.