Governor Moore announces $14.5 million in federal highway safety grants

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced more than $14.5 million in federal highway safety grants to local agencies, nonprofits and other organizations across Maryland to support the state’s continued efforts to prevent crashes, save lives and make Maryland’s roads safer for everyone. The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office will distribute the federal funds on October 1 to 99 agencies across the state.

“Marylanders deserve to feel safe on our roads and we have a responsibility to ensure we’re keeping people safe,” said Gov. Moore. “This funding will help our local partners turn proven strategies into action, preventing crashes and saving lives. By working together and investing in solutions that meet communities where they are, we will make Maryland a safer and better community, ensuring no is left behind.”

Grant funding is awarded based on traffic safety needs and crash data and supports programs and initiatives in communities throughout Maryland. The federal funding is in addition to the nearly $675,000 in state-funded grants awarded in July.

Funds announced today will support efforts to:

• Prevent impaired, aggressive and distracted driving;
• Increase seat belt use in all seats;
• Increase safety for pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists;
• Promote the correct use of child passenger safety seats;
• Support law enforcement training for highway safety and traffic enforcement;
• Fund overtime enforcement of Maryland’s traffic laws; and
• Increase the efficiency and capability of Maryland’s traffic data systems.

The grant awards also come as Lt. Governor Aruna Miller has convened a new coalition bringing together leaders from across the state to turn shared responsibility for roadway safety into concrete action.

“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility, and it demands a shared commitment. That is why we launched our new highway safety coalition—to bring together government, law enforcement, community leaders, advocates, and other partners around one table and one goal: saving lives,” said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. “These grants will help turn that partnership into progress by giving communities the resources they need to make our roads safer for every Marylander.”

In 2025, 486 people were killed on Maryland roadways, including 111 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists, down significantly from 582 roadway fatalities in 2024 and marking the lowest number of roadway fatalities in a decade. As of September 8, 298 people have died in crashes on Maryland roads in 2026.

“Maryland has made meaningful progress in reducing roadway fatalities, but we know there is still more work ahead,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. “With these grants, communities across the state will have additional resources to address the traffic safety challenges they experience every day through education, enforcement and safer infrastructure. We are committed to building a safe and effective transportation system for all road users and moving Maryland toward zero deaths on our roads.”

Maryland’s 2026–2030 Strategic Highway Safety Plan provides a statewide framework for reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries through the Safe System Approach. This framework recognizes that everyone has a responsibility to make safe choices on the road, while acknowledging that people make mistakes. The Safe System Approach works to build layers of protection into the transportation system so that poor choices and other factors are less likely to result in death or serious injury. The plan brings together state and local agencies, law enforcement, safety advocates and community partners around shared strategies focused on the four E’s: education, engineering, enforcement and emergency medical services.

Grants, policy updates, legislative actions and other efforts complement the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Serious About Safety initiative, a department-wide commitment to improving safety across all modes of transportation.

“We believe that one life lost on our roads is one too many here in Maryland,” said Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Governor Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “We look forward to seeing the results of the data-driven strategies and programs our partners put in place and the positive impact they will have for communities statewide.”

Highway safety grant funds may only be used for approved traffic safety initiatives. The funding is available during the Federal Fiscal Year 2027, from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

View the full list of Highway Safety Grant awardees at zerodeathsmd.gov/grants/awardees.

Learn more about the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office at ZeroDeathsMD.gov  or on Facebook, X and Instagram at @ZeroDeathsMD.