Governor Moore Unveils Maryland’s New Highway Safety Campaign, “Slow The Fast Down”

Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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ANNAPOLIS, MD– Governor Moore today announced the launch of “Slow the Fast Down,” a new safe driving campaign to reduce the number of fatalities associated with speeding.   

“The safety of Marylanders is my number one priority,” said Gov. Moore. “The ‘Slow the Fast Down’ campaign is a refusal to accept the status quo on our roadways, inspiring more drivers across Maryland to ease off the gas and put the brakes on aggressive and reckless driving to continue our decline in traffic deaths and injuries for a second straight year.”

The message behind this campaign is simple: slowing down saves lives. Whether you're driving through a neighborhood or traveling on a highway, choosing a safe speed gives you more time to react, reduces the severity of crashes, and helps protect everyone who shares the road. No technology, enforcement strategy, or public awareness campaign can replace the decisions drivers make behind the wheel. That's why the Moore-Miller administration is asking every driver to do their part and Slow the Fast Down.

“As a transportation engineer, I’ve spent my career designing and building safer infrastructure. The most important safety feature is the choice each of us makes behind the wheel," said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. "Speeding isn’t just breaking the law, it puts families, first responders, road workers, pedestrians, and every person on our roadways at risk. Obeying the posted speed limit can be the difference between life and death. If we want to save lives, every driver has a role to play.”

Campaign materials direct visitors to SlowTheFastDownMD.com, which provides a repository of information about speeding, including visualizations, campaign materials and an opportunity to share the message with friends and family via text or e-mail.

Each year, nearly one-third of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involve excessive speed, and speed is a contributing factor in many other crashes. When drivers travel faster than road conditions, traffic or roadway design safely allow, the laws of physics take over. Increased speed reduces reaction time, lengthens stopping distances and increases crash severity – making every mile per hour matter.

“The data is clear: speed kills, and loss of life on our roads is entirely preventable. We are serious about safety and fiercely committed to making Maryland’s transportation network safer for everyone, but we cannot do this alone,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. “This campaign is about respecting the speed limit and the people around us enough to slow down. This one choice can save lives.”

Last year, 485 people lost their lives on Maryland roadways. While this marked the first time since 2014 that annual traffic fatalities fell below 500, even one death is too many. Maryland remains committed to its goal of zero roadway fatalities and recognizes that continued efforts are needed to make every trip safer.

Speeding endangers all road users, but it poses a particularly deadly threat to people who walk, bike and roll. Without the protections afforded by a vehicle's frame, airbags and seat belts, vulnerable road users face a far greater risk of serious injury or death in a crash. Even relatively small increases in speed can have deadly consequences: a pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a vehicle traveling 40 mph is eight times more likely to be killed than one struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph.

"When we tell Marylanders to 'Slow the Fast Down,' it’s an urgent call to action. Nearly a third of all fatal crashes in our state are tied to speeding, and what some see as a traffic issue is actually a public health issue,” said Chrissy Nizer, Motor Vehicle Administrator and Governor Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “Excessive speed shrinks your reaction time, lengthens your stopping distance and exponentially increases the risks of injury and death in a crash. Every mile per hour matters and slowing down increases the chance of a safe arrival.”

Education and outreach can raise awareness, but enforcement and accountability are also essential to changing driver behavior. Throughout July, state and local law enforcement agencies across Maryland will increase high-visibility enforcement to deter speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors. The objective is not simply to issue citations; it is to prevent crashes and save lives.

“So far this year, law enforcement has cited more than 4,600 motorists statewide for traveling more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit,” said Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. “Not only do these behaviors endanger the lives of our law enforcement and roadside workers, they also endanger the lives of every person traveling on our roadways. We remain committed to providing safety to all who live or travel through our state through education and enforcement.”

A common misconception is that vehicle safety features can overcome the dangers of excessive speed. While airbags, seat belts and advanced vehicle structures have saved countless lives, they are not designed to make drivers invincible. Vehicle crash tests are run at speeds up to 40 mph, and the protection modern vehicles can provide diminishes as speeds increase. 

Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety illustrates this reality. When the same vehicle was crash tested at 40 mph, 50 mph and nearly 56 mph, researchers found that higher speeds and crash forces dramatically increased vehicle intrusion and the likelihood of serious injury. While today's vehicles provide significant protection in lower-speed crashes, the risk of traumatic head, facial and lower-extremity injuries rises sharply as speeds exceed 50 mph. Simply put, no safety feature can overcome the laws of physics.

“Despite all the advances in vehicle safety in recent decades, people continue to lose their lives on our roads,” said Insurance Institute for Highway Safety President David Harkey. “We are not going to address this road safety emergency with safer vehicles alone. We need to reduce speeds through awareness and enforcement, allowing vehicle advancements to better protect those inside and outside the vehicle.”  

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