ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Maryland Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Maryland from January 2026 through March 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.
The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.
01 PHONE DISTRACTION
Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark
In January 2026, drivers in Maryland recorded 24.16 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 2.6% above the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 25.01, a 3.5% increase from the prior month, and 4% above the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 24.54 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.9% decrease from February. It was 3.2% above the US average.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
02 COUNTY ANALYSIS
County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving
Across the three-month period, Maryland averaged 24.57 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Baltimore City, Prince George’s, and Charles, recorded distraction rates roughly 13% – 57% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Garrett, Queen Anne’s, and Allegany, reported rates roughly 25% – 28% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Baltimore City
38.6
+57.1%Prince George's County
30.8
+25.4%Charles County
27.8
+13.1%Montgomery County
24.7
+0.5%Dorchester County
24.7
+0.5%Lowest Distraction
Howard County
19.5
-20.6%Frederick County
18.7
-23.9%Allegany County
18.4
-25.1%Queen Anne's County
17.9
-27.1%Garrett County
17.8
-27.6%
03 HARD BRAKING
High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk
Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of Baltimore City intersections found Charlotte Avenue & Danville Avenue to be a high-risk hotspot, with 220.1 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
Charlotte Avenue & Danville Avenue
220.1
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Maryland
Hard Braking Events per 100 miles
Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.
04 SPEEDING PATTERNS
When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks
Speeding behavior in Idaho follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On Barclay Road in Maryland (50 mph), speeding peaks on Sundays at 7:00 a.m., when 70.1% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Saturdays at 12:00 a.m. and Thursdays at 2:00 a.m.
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Barclay Road
Posted speed limit: 50 mph
Sundays: 7:00 a.m.
70.1%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Saturdays: 12:00 a.m.
64.9%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
05 SCHOOL ZONES
How fast are drivers going in school zones?
We analyzed speed distribution in the school zone at Pine Crest Elementary School on Woodmoor Dr in Silver Spring, MD. Our analysis found that 43% of drivers exceed the 15 mph speed limit during school hours. Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 88.4% of drivers going over the limit.
Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.
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