‘Slow the Fast Down’ campaign aims to reduce speeding deaths on Maryland roads

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday unveiled a new statewide highway safety campaign aimed at reducing speeding-related crashes and encouraging Maryland drivers to slow down.

The campaign, called “Slow the Fast Down,” focuses on the message that lowering speeds can help save lives by giving drivers more time to react, reducing crash severity and making roads safer for everyone.

The safety of Marylanders is my number one priority,” said Moore, via press release. “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 campaign directs residents to SlowTheFastDownMD.com, where visitors can learn about the dangers of speeding, view educational materials and share the campaign with others by text or email.

According to the state, nearly one-third of all fatal motor vehicle crashes each year involve excessive speed. Officials say speeding reduces a driver’s reaction time, increases stopping distances and makes crashes more severe.

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, via press release. “This campaign is about respecting the speed limit and the people around us enough to slow down. This one choice can save lives.

The campaign comes after 485 people were killed on Maryland roadways in 2025, the first year since 2014 that annual traffic fatalities dropped below 500. State officials say the goal remains eliminating roadway deaths altogether.

Officials also highlighted the heightened risk speeding poses to pedestrians and bicyclists. 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.

Alongside the education campaign, state and local law enforcement agencies will step up speed enforcement throughout July with increased patrols targeting dangerous driving.

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, via press release. “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.

Officials also warned that modern vehicle safety features cannot fully protect occupants in high-speed crashes.

Crash testing and research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show the risk of serious injury rises sharply as crash speeds exceed 50 mph.

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, via press release. “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.