The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MVA) Highway Safety Office recently awarded more than $12.9 million in Serious About Safety program grants to 96 organizations statewide.
Funds will be distributed on Oct. 1.
“Saving lives and preventing fatal crashes is our top priority,” Samantha J. Biddle, Maryland Department of Transportation, acting secretary said. “While Maryland is seeing a reduction in crash fatalities compared to previous years, even one death is too many. These grant funds will support proactive, community-driven initiatives focused on education, enforcement and engineering to help people arrive alive.”
The grants will support projects that increase the efficiency and capability of Maryland’s traffic data systems; fund overtime enforcement of Maryland’s traffic laws; support police training for highway safety and traffic enforcement; promote the correct use of child passenger safety seats; increase the use of seat belts in all seats; increase safety for pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists; and prevent impaired, aggressive and distracted driving.
Funds were awarded based on crash data for each county or organization. Last year, 582 people were killed on Maryland roadways, including 163 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists. In 2023, there were 621 fatalities.
The grants are for federal fiscal year 2026, which runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026. The grants are in addition to nearly $1.4 million in state-funded grants awarded in July.