BALTIMORE — Trick-or-treaters hit Southern Maryland neighborhoods Saturday night, and a day later the evening commute turns dark an hour earlier. State transportation officials say that one-two combination is a reason for everyone on the road to slow down.
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, pushing more drivers, walkers and cyclists onto roads after dark. Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thompson said research has shown fatal crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists can climb as much as 13% in the weeks after the fall time change, according to an Oct. 27 release from the State Highway Administration and the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.
The state’s own numbers show both progress and how much is left. In 2025, Maryland recorded 2,704 pedestrian-related crashes, down 7% from 2024. Those crashes still killed 101 pedestrians and injured 2,399, the agencies said.
State Highway Administrator Will Pines noted that pedestrian crashes declined on every type of road in the state last year but said more work remains, urging drivers to slow down and put away distractions. Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who is also Gov. Wes Moore’s highway safety representative, called road safety a shared responsibility as days shorten.
Close to home
Southern Maryland has not been spared. This year the Chronicle has reported a fatal pedestrian crash on Three Notch Road in St. Mary’s County and a 46-year-old struck and killed on Route 210 in Bryans Road. Both are state highways of the kind the SHA campaign targets: multi-lane roads with higher speeds and long stretches between signals.
Statewide, the broader picture has been mixed. The Chronicle reported in September that overall Maryland traffic deaths were down but not for motorcycle riders. MDOT ran a similar campaign at this time last year, when shorter days prompted its fall safety drive.
What the state is asking
For drivers, officials stressed slowing down and stopping for people in crosswalks, using extra care when turning at intersections, entering and leaving driveways slowly, and making sure headlights and other vehicle lights work. Drivers must stop for school buses and come to a full stop at stop signs, and Maryland’s move-over law requires changing lanes, or slowing if that is not safe, for any stopped vehicle showing warning signals.
On Halloween, the agencies asked drivers to be especially alert during trick-or-treating hours and to watch for children crossing streets or stepping out between parked cars. Anyone planning to drink should arrange a sober ride home.
People on foot were urged to use sidewalks and marked crosswalks, push the signal button and wait for the walk signal, look left, right and left again before crossing, and cross where there is street lighting when possible. After dark, they should wear bright or reflective clothing and consider carrying a light.
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, as designated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. MDOT pointed to its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which focuses on site-specific road improvements, and a Complete Streets “quick-build” program that installs small upgrades meant to deliver safety results quickly. Both fall under the department’s Serious About Safety initiative. Information on State Highway Administration projects and travel conditions is at roads.maryland.gov.
