Maryland receives good grade in new report that rates road safety measures
BALTIMORE -- The father of a fallen Montgomery County Police officer joined traffic safety advocates in Washington, D.C. on Thursday as they unveiled a new report that rates each state's road safety measures.
Each year, Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety shares its Roadmap to Safety. The report looks at each state's progress in implementing safety measures to reduce traffic deaths and injuries.
In the report, Maryland received a green grade, which means good, because of the number of laws in place to deter impaired and unsafe driving.
The report suggests that Maryland can improve in other areas, including focusing more on younger and newer drivers, where it received a red grade for not having optimal laws that would enforce a minimum age for a learner's permit and license, 70 hours of supervised driving, as well as night time driving and passenger restrictions.
Numbers also show that over a 10-year period, Maryland experienced more than 5,300 crash deaths, 663 of which happened in 2023, which has created a $5.9 billion price tag due to motor vehicle crashes, according to the report.
According to the advocacy group, the U.S. experienced 42,514 roadway deaths and 2.38 million injuries in 2022. Early estimates show that traffic fatalities also remained high in 2023.
The 2025 report calls on governors and state legislators to close any gaps in existing laws during the 2025 session and to focus on automated speeding enforcement, seat belt and child seat usage, teen driver safety and impaired or distracted driving.
In the report, safety advocates also urge the U.S. Transportation Department to issue federal vehicle safety standards.
"This is an annual assessment that is a guide for policymakers and a rallying call for action," said Cathy Chase, President of the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety.
Rich Leotta, the father of fallen Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, who was killed while on duty by an impaired driver in 2015, joined the group.
"I'm pleased to share that Maryland is given a green rating on impaired driving in the Roadmap report," Rich Leotta said.
Who Was Officer Noah Leotta?
Noah was killed in the line of duty in 2015 after he was hit by a drunk driver. At the time, he was the youngest member of the department's holiday alcohol task force, according to reporting from WJLA.
In 2016, the Maryland General Assembly passed Noah's Law, which requires anyone convicted of a DUI in Maryland to install an interlock ignition device in their car. The device prevents the car from starting if the driver is over the legal blood-alcohol limit.
"Earlier this week, we marked the 9th anniversary of the day of a senseless, preventable crash that took Noah's life," Rich Leotta said.
In May 2024, Governor Wes Moore signed a bill closing a loophole in Noah's Law which prevented first-time drunk drivers who received probation from avoiding the interlock device.
Since Noah died in 2015, his father Rich has been a fierce advocate for traffic safety.
"More, more needs to be done in all states to combat impaired driving, including enacting container laws and .05 percentage alcohol concentration, or BAC, laws," he said.
Traffic Safety Efforts in Baltimore
The report comes as Baltimore has seen a troubling pattern of pedestrian-involved crashes along a stretch of road in the northeast part of the city.
In November, at least four people died after being hit by a car while crossing Belair Road, according to police.
Earlier in November, Baltimore County police urged drivers and pedestrians to be cautious, especially during the evenings. They recommended that drivers remain alert, and pedestrians wear bright colors and reflective material.
City officials also recently announced a plan to use $44 million from a settlement to update sidewalks and curb ramps to make Baltimore more accessible for pedestrians and those with disabilities
