Some of us remember when a “portable cellular phone” was a clunky, exotic luxury – with a handset the size of a brick, powered by a heavy battery hauled around in a bag (hence, the label “bag phone”). But by the late 1990s, digital technology evolved to make cell phones small enough to fit in a pocket or purse, and soon everyone had to have one with them, at all times.

Once people began to use their cell phones while driving, cell phone use became a major contributor to distracted driving car accidents. Now, the Maryland Supreme Court has made a decision that will affect when law enforcement can make traffic stops based on how a driver “touches” their cell phone.

Maryland is one of 31 states that ban handheld cell phone use while driving. (See link below under “Sources” for a chart detailing all state laws.)

Maryland bans all cell phone use for drivers under 18, and has a handheld mobile device ban for all drivers, in all zones, as a primary offense — meaning, law enforcement can make a traffic stop if they see you driving and using a handheld device. (In other words, they don’t have to pull you over for some other traffic violation to cite you for using a handheld device while driving.) Maryland also has a texting ban for all drivers — again, as a primary offense.

Maryland does, however, allow for using GPS, calling 911, and other exceptions. This is where things start to get a little sticky.

In January 2026, the Maryland Supreme Court made a decision that affects if and when law enforcement can pull over a driver for “touching” their cell phone. Essentially, they cannot.

A divided Maryland Supreme Court ruled that police cannot pull over drivers who are merely touching their cell phones while behind the wheel, actions that could be permitted under the state’s distracted driving laws. The Majority ruled (4 – 3) that “…not every driver observed manipulating, or even touching, or pressing the screen of a cell phone while driving can reasonably be suspected of violating the law.”

In other words, a driver may be texting a friend, which is a violation of state distracted driving law. However, law enforcement can’t always tell from observation if the driver is texting vs. “touching” their screen to punch in GPS coordinates. The new law deems that, “As long as there is a possible legal explanation…police do not automatically have grounds for a traffic stop.”

Critics of the ruling say it restricts law enforcement officers from enforcing the state’s distracted driving laws and preventing traffic accidents. We will have to wait and see how the new law plays out on Maryland’s roadways.

As always, be safe out there and steer clear of drivers that you can see are on their devices — whatever they may be doing.

Sources:

Distracted Driving | Cellphone Use
National Conference of State Legislatures  collected online Feb. 11, 2026

‘Touching’ your phone behind the wheel is not enough for a traffic stop, Supreme Court rules
Maryland Matters  Jan. 28, 2026

Be the FOCUSED Driver
Zero Deaths Maryland  May 17, 2022

In the year and months since the Key Bridge disaster, commuters driving through the Baltimore Metro Region have grappled with some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. According to media reports citing Census Bureau data, Maryland overall now ranks as having the second-worst commuter times in the country. Patience is thin as drivers rerouted around the bridge are spending exponentially increased time on their daily work commutes; headaches shared by others simply trying to get to and from where they need to go.

The worry of traffic accidents also increases as congestion can be a factor contributing to motor vehicle accidents — from rear-end collisions where cars are following each other too closely, to more serious, road-rage fueled crashes as frustrated drivers stuck in traffic try to change lanes and get ahead of the mess.

Media sources report that according to the Maryland State Highway Administration, “the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse […] diverted more than 30,000 vehicles per day – including many commercial trucks – onto Interstate 95, I-895 and I-695.”

Maryland’s traffic congestion woes began even before the Key Bridge tragedy. According to media sources citing Census Bureau data, “Maryland’s average one-way commute reached 31.5 minutes in 2023, the second longest in the U.S.” Traffic experts theorize that the return to work following the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the increased traffic congestion. These existing problems have since been compounded by the Key Bridge collapse.

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) recently posted a video (see link below under “Sources”) updating the community on progress on the Key Bridge rebuilding efforts; the project is slated for completion by 2030. In the meantime, Baltimore area commuters and residents trying to get from Point A to Point B — be that work, shopping, family, wherever they need to be — will continue to seek out alternate routes — and deal with stalled traffic patterns.

In addition, the MDTA has announced plans to build a new Chesapeake Bay Bridge — the first such improvements in decades. News reports state construction could begin in 2032, so changes won’t be felt right away. Perhaps by then the Key Bridge will have been repaired and frustrated commuters will get some relief.

As experienced Baltimore, Maryland traffic accident lawyers — we’ve seen how motor vehicle crashes change lives in an instant. Take it slow out there (we know, Baltimore drivers may have little choice!) and please drive defensively.

Sources:

MD has the second highest commute time in US, survey finds
The Daily Record, Capital News Service  Dec. 1, 2025

Key Bridge Rebuild — Community Update
Maryland Transportation Authority,  Collected online Dec. 18, 2025

Maryland Transportation Authority approves plan to replace Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Fox45News Baltimore   Dec. 18. 2025

Fall also means our Maryland highways, city streets, and suburban roadways are once again jammed with commuters traveling to and from work. Anyone who has commuted in the greater Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area can attest to the maddening congestion, with one study citing Maryland as having the most congested roadways in the country (see link below).

With fall driving now a major part of our daily lives, let’s take a look at recent motor vehicle accident statistics in Maryland. According to Zero Deaths Maryland …

• Maryland had 577 fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2023, up from 496 fatal accidents in 2019. This brings the 5-year average up to 535 fatal motor vehicle crashes a year.
• Maryland motor vehicle crashes with injuries averaged 28,609 crashes per year from 2019 to 2023, with 41,717 total number of people injured per year on average.
• Maryland property damage crashes, for a 5-year average, add up to 78,742 crashes a year.

Factors contributing to Maryland fatal motor vehicle accidents and crashes with injury include the following:

Drugs and alcohol play a factor in a significant number of Maryland traffic crashes causing fatalities and injuries, averaging 142 fatal crashes and 1,843 injury crashes per year across a five-year span.

Aggressive driving plays a role in an average of 42 deaths and 1,152 injuries per year in Maryland.

Speeding is a factor in 91 fatal crashes and 2,298 injury crashes on average per year over a five-year period.

Distracted driving continues to pose a major threat on our Maryland highways and roadways, cited as a factor in 197 fatal crashes and 14,833 injury crashes on average per year from 2019-2023.

As experienced Baltimore County, Maryland car accident attorneys, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused by motor vehicle accident injuries and deaths. Our job is to help grieving families navigate the often bewildering process of accident injury claims and lawsuits. Traffic accidents can happen without warning, changing lives forever.

It is our privilege to be of service to our clients, to relieve them of the burden of legal forms and processes, to help them obtain the compensation they are entitled to so they may continue on with their lives.

Please drive safely out there this fall, Maryland motorists!

Sources:

Study: Maryland Has Worst Traffic Congestion in U.S.
My MCM: Montgomery Community Media  Jan. 17, 2023

Maryland Crash Data
Zero Deaths Maryland  collected online Oct. 22, 2025

Back to school is a good time to review the Maryland traffic laws designed to keep our school children safe and avoid pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents. Let’s start with the army of school buses about to descend on our streets.

• Brake, Slow, and Stop for Maryland School Bus Safety: Maryland traffic law related to school buses states that drivers on undivided roadways must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus when its red lights flash and stop arm extends – when coming from either direction. No passing is allowed until the school bus lights stop flashing, the bus arm retracts, and the bus moves. When traveling on Maryland’s divided highways separated by a grass medium, concrete divider, or other barrier, all vehicles traveling in the opposite direction may continue on their way; however, they must slow down and proceed with caution, as children could cross the roadway unexpectedly.

NOTE: Maryland school bus laws prohibit passing from behind or the front when the school bus signals activate, with violations resulting in fines up to $570 and three points on a driver’s license, enforced through patrols and automated cameras in some areas.

• Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras in Maryland School Zones: Maryland School Zones, in general, have a 25 to 30 mile-per-hour speed limit, which can increase to 35 miles per hour if a crossing guard is present. Some school districts in the state have rolled out automated speed enforcement cameras, which are designed to detect and record vehicle speeds above a certain threshold. Speed cameras may be present when police officers are not on duty enforcing traffic laws outside the schools; law enforcement officers review speed camera data to identify vehicles going too fast and then contact their owners to receive a citation.

The bottom line is, slow down as soon as you see a School Zone sign and drive like our kids’ lives depend on it – because they do. Kids are excited to be back at school and are preoccupied with their phones and catching up with their friends – and they’re not always thinking about crossing the street safely, at crosswalks, and watching out for traffic.

School zones are vulnerable locations for children and other pedestrians, and it’s up to all of the motoring public in Maryland to help keep our school kids safe.

Sources:

Maryland Back-to-School Bus Stopping Rules
The Southern Maryland Chronicle  Aug. 19, 2025

Automated Speed Enforcement School Zones
Maryland Department of Transportation – State Highway Administration  collected online Aug. 20, 2025

The Maryland Division of Labor and Industry, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), reports the most recent data for Maryland work injury fatalities. Fatal work injuries totaled 80 in 2022 for Maryland – roughly even with the statistics for 2021.

According to the fatality census results from the BLS’s Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), work-related deaths in Maryland in 2022 involve the following industries, occupations, and incidents*:

Industries:

• The private construction industry had the largest number of fatalities with 16 work-related deaths (up from 14 in 2021), including those caused by slip, trip, and fall accidents.
• The private sector transportation and warehousing industries had 12 worker fatalities (up from 10 in 2021).

Occupations:

• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatalities with 26 (up from 15 in 2021). The majority of the fatalities were motor vehicle operators.
• Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services accounted for 11 fatal workplace injuries.

Causes:

• Violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 22 fatalities.
• Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 10 fatalities.
• Other causes of work-related fatalities included contact with objects or equipment, and exposure to hazardous substances or environments.

(*See link below to full report on the Maryland.gov website.)

When a loved one is injured or killed on the job, life turns upside down. In addition to the grief and disbelief, families are often left wondering how they will pay their bills and get by.

Maryland Workers’ Compensation does provide death benefits to families of loved ones who suffer death as a result of a work-related injury. However, this is not a process that grieving families want to navigate alone.

The compassionate Maryland work injury lawyers at Butschky & Butschky, LLC, personal injury law firm can help. We understand what you are going through and we can relieve you of the burden of filing your case or claim, and seeing it through the process – so you can get the benefits you are entitled to and continue on with life. Please contact us at (800)722-6616 today if we can help you or your family.

Source:

Fatal Occupational Injuries In Maryland – 2022 – Research and Statistics
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)
Maryland Department of Labor  collected online June 9, 2025

Now, our cars have become rolling extensions of our homes and offices, as most everyone seems to be talking on mobile phones while they drive. Hands-free mobile phone systems have enabled motorists to put down their hand-held cell phones — which is the law, in states like Maryland that have a hands-free cell phone law on the books. In addition, in 2014, Maryland enacted Jake’s Law, increasing penalties for distracted driving, including those resulting in serious injury or death, with potential fines of up to $5,000 and up to three years of jail time. Jake Owen was a 5-year-old boy killed in a Maryland distracted driving accident in 2011.

Despite hands-free cell phone usage laws in states like Maryland across the country, some drivers cannot resist the urge to use their hand-held devices. Texting while driving — including sending and receiving messages, and interacting with social media — remains a deadly threat to the motoring public, as it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction.

Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a new public safety campaign aimed at stopping distracted drivers before they cause injury or death.

NHTSA reports that in 2023, there were 3,275 people killed and nearly 325,000 people injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. Tragically, between 2014 and 2023, some 32,000 people lost their lives in distracted driving accidents. NHTSA defines distracted driving as any time the driver’s attention is not on the road. Despite texting while driving being illegal in 49 states and Washington, D.C., it remains a serious hazard on our U.S. roadways.

NHTSA is launching a “Put the Phone Away or Pay” public safety campaign in April, with increased police presence on our roadways looking to stop distracted drivers. The campaign video (see link below) depicts texting-while-driving behaviors we’re all too familiar with: drivers who prop up their cell phones on their steering wheels; those who keep their cell phones low, to avoid detection; and others who scroll through them quickly. These behaviors can lead to swerving on the roadways, fender benders, or worse — crashes with injury, damage to property, even death.

According to NHTSA, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Young adults are most apt to engage in this distracted driving behavior. The organization recommends pulling over and putting the car in park before taking or sending a text message, or designating a passenger to do the texting for the driver. No text message is worth risking a life.

Sources:

NHTSA: Put the Phone Away or Pay Distracted Driving Campaign

Distracted Driving Campaign, April 2025

Most every Maryland snowstorm of significance brings with it not only fender benders, but the potential for serious car accidents with injuries or worse due to motorists encountering hazardous driving conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2022, there were 498 fatal traffic crashes and an estimated 32,213 injury crashes in the U.S. that occurred when snow/sleet conditions were present at the time of the crash.

Top causes of winter motor vehicle accidents in Maryland and other snowy states include …

• Speeding. Posted speed limits are meant for dry roadways – not for driving in snowy weather or on roads slick with ice and snow. Yet, we still get passed on the highway by drivers at high rates of speed, despite bad weather.
• Black ice. When ice freezes on the dark road surface, it can be very difficult to see. If a motor vehicle traveling at speed hits a patch of black ice — that’s all it takes to put that vehicle into a swerve or spin, with potentially disastrous results.
• Poor visibility. There’s a reason the Maryland State Highway Administration lowers speed limits and issues advisories against traveling on the roadways during snowstorms, if at all avoidable. Snow and sleet, especially at night, reduce visibility, making already dangerous driving conditions even worse.
• Flying ice and snow from uncleared vehicles. This winter driving hazard has made the headlines as not only is it preventable, but the results can be serious and deadly. When drivers fail to clear accumulated ice and snow from the roofs of their cars, trucks, and SUVs – ice sheets can suddenly dislodge on the highway, flying into the windshields of innocent drivers and causing them to lose control. Snow and ice can also fall off uncleared vehicles into the roadways, creating hazardous slippery spots.
• Unprepared drivers and vehicles. Many drivers are unsure what to do when encountering winter driving conditions, and continue to drive as though it were a nice spring day. In addition, vehicles that are not well maintained, e.g., those with worn brakes and tires, can be more difficult to drive during hazardous Maryland winter conditions.
• Bridges freeze before roadways. We are all familiar with Baltimore, Maryland’s iconic system of bridges. In the city and elsewhere, bridges freeze before roadways as they are more exposed to the elements, with no soil around them to provide warmth. Traversing a bridge in a snowstorm can challenge even the best Maryland winter drivers, and is something we’d all like to avoid when at all possible.

As experienced Maryland motor vehicle accident attorneys, we’ve driven these highways and roads our whole lives. We understand what Maryland winters can be like. And we know that winter car accidents can be tragic, causing injuries, property damage, and death. Drivers can be held at fault if determined they were speeding or engaging in other dangerous driving behaviors during a snowstorm that led to a motor vehicle accident.

NHTSA, the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration, and Zero Deaths Maryland offer some tips for winter driving:

Equip your vehicle for winter: Keep your car, truck, or SUV and its tires (if you have snow tires, even better) well maintained and stocked with emergency items such as flare lights, blankets, and a first aid kid. Make sure lights, heating/cooling systems and wipers are working, and windshield wiper fluid is filled. Gas up and plan your route before a trip. Make sure your cell phone is charged.

Prepare to alter your driving behaviors. If it snows, slow down! All our Maryland drivers are navigating the winter roadway hazards together. If you have to break suddenly for snow, ice, or poor driving conditions, avoid slamming on the brakes and try to keep your steering wheel straight. It only takes a second for a driver to overcompensate during a winter skid and go off the road, or into other traffic.

Check the Maryland STORM Active Map to see where state weather removal and treatment vehicles are active in your area, in near real time.

Winter in Maryland isn’t done with us yet. Be safe out there!

Sources:

Winter Weather Driving Tips
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  collected online Feb. 6, 2025

Drive To Survive In Winter Weather
Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration  collected online Feb. 6, 2025

Keeping Yourself and Others Safe on the Road This Winter
Zero Deaths Maryland  Jan. 2, 2023

Tragically, on March 22, 2023, six road workers died when a car going more than 100 mph crashed into a work zone on I-695 in Baltimore County. This preventable fatal car accident resulted in multiple felony negligent manslaughter charges for the two drivers involved, and the call for legislation to better protect construction workers on our Maryland streets and highways.

The Assistant Governor’s office formed a work zone safety group in the wake of the fatal crash, leading to the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act being signed into law in April 2024. In January 2025, a tiered penalty system goes into effect for drivers who speed in work zones.

According to Zero Deaths Maryland, Highway Safety Office,

“Effective June 1, 2024 fines will increase from $40 to $80. An updated schedule of fines will take effect in January 2025, with a sliding scale, from $60 to $500, corresponding to how far over the speed limit the driver was recorded at the time of their recorded offense. If workers were present at the time of the offense, the citation’s fine will double.”

The system includes more speed cameras in work zones and requires more lighting to help drivers see when workers are present.

The safety of road workers and the police details who protect them involves all Maryland drivers acting responsibly. If you see a construction crew on the side of the highway, please slow down. Where the road is our passage way to get where we’re going … it’s the work zone for those on the job, facing the elements and risks involved, every day.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Sources:

These Maryland laws go into effect January 2025
CBS News  Dec. 24, 2024

Work Zone Safety Legislation
Zero Deaths Maryland  Collected online Dec. 24.2024

Driver sentenced to 18 months in I-695 crash that killed six construction workers
CBS Baltimore  March 28, 2024

For Maryland kids and parents, back to school means adjusting to new schedules, getting used to new teachers, reconnecting with classmates, and growing up just a little bit more. For Maryland motorists, it also means being aware of school buses back on the road and children walking to and from school, moving quickly on and off the sidewalks.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., school transportation-related traffic accidents account for an average 111 deaths a year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Young pedestrians are particularly vulnerable: Between 2012 and 2021, more than half (53 percent) of school-aged pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between 5 and 10 years old.

Maryland school zones and school buses have a specific set of traffic regulations to ensure school children get to and from school safely. Let’s take a look at some current Maryland traffic laws designed to protect school children on and off the school bus and in and around school zones.

Stop for School Buses: According to the Maryland State Police, drivers must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus in both directions when its stop arm is extended and red lights are flashing. In 2023, Harford County, Maryland, installed “stop arm cameras” on the sides of 100 school buses to catch violators of the red lights flashing law – resulting in a $125 fine. According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), more than 17 million stop-arm violations occur in the U.S. each year — putting far too many students at risk.

We’ve all seen cars who pass a school bus when it is stopped, either unaware of the law or too busy doing other things, oblivious to their surroundings. This law applies to single-lane and multi-lane streets as well as divided highways. If in doubt, just stop! Keep a safe distance from any school bus, and be prepared for students to do the unexpected, like dart into the street.

Slow Down in School Zones: According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, a “School Area” includes streets within one-half mile of and surrounding a school building or property, “within which motor vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle traffic is substantially generated or influenced by the school.” Maryland uses automated speed enforcement (speed cameras) in school zones to deter drivers from speeding; the speed limit in school zones, including the immediate neighborhood streets, is typically 35 miles per hour or less. Once a driver sees a “School Zone” sign, they should slow way down and obey the speed limit.

Children walking to and from school – and getting on and off school buses — are often preoccupied with their friends and not thinking about traffic. It’s our job as adults and responsible Maryland drivers to be wary of them and help protect them from injury.

Have a safe and happy school year!

Sources:

Traffic Safety Facts 2012 – 2021 Data
School-Transportation-Related Crashes
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  June 2023

Stop For School Buses: What Are The Laws In Maryland?
Maryland State Police  Press Release  Aug. 24, 2023

Maryland Transportation Code § 21-803.1 (2023)
Justia U.S. Law  collected online Sept. 6, 2024

100 school buses in Harford County equipped with stop arm cameras
WMAR-2 News  Feb. 15, 2023

Heat-related illness can take a range of forms leading to work-related injury and death, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope (fainting and/or dizziness), and heat cramps. Fatigue and disorientation brought on by heat can lead to serious accidents on the job.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed federal workplace standards to protect workers in the heat, however those may take months to pass (and could be delayed depending on the election results). Only five states have heat-related regulations to protect workers, and none in our region.