Crash Responder Safety Week

Governor Wes Moore has declared November 13-17, 2023, as Crash Responder Safety Week in Maryland. The governor issued a proclamation supporting a national effort to raise awareness of the critical role motorists play in keeping traffic incident responders safe as they perform their duties on our roadways. Most crashes are not accidents, because behaviors such as distracted driving, impairment by alcohol and/or drugs, speeding, and failing to move over are preventable.

As part of the observance, the Maryland State Highway Administration, the Maryland Transportation Authority, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office are partnering to remind motorists to stay alert, move over and slow down when approaching traffic incidents and emergency responders. 

According to the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, first responders and highway workers responded to 108,656 crashes on Maryland roadways in 2022 and thousands of other incidents such as disabled vehicles and roadway hazards. State Highway Administration emergency responder technicians assist a motorist every 16 minutes, and manage traffic at an incident every 22 minutes. Their work prevents up to 250 secondary incidents each year.  

Since 2020, there have been 48 incidents of vehicles striking State Highway Administration trucks while tending to traffic incidents, including 17 so far this year. Nationally, 50 traffic incident responders were killed in the line of duty last year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Untold is the number of life-altering injuries responders incur every year while tending to a traffic incident.