MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A new Montgomery County report is hoping to be proactive in reducing the number of severe and fatal crashes.
The Predictive Safety Analysis Final Report looked at every roadway and intersection to estimate the number of crashes and explore some of the most dangerous traffic locations.
Between 2015 and 2019, there were over 59,000 crashes in Montgomery County, resulting in over 1,200 severe injuries and nearly 150 fatalities, according to the report.
"As part of Montgomery County’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2030, Montgomery Planning is using a new strategy to improve road safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians called the Predictive Safety Analysis. This proactive data-driven approach works to prevent severe and fatal crashes before they happen," according to the report.
Researchers were able to look at every roadway and intersection to estimate the number of crashes, using the data to create a map showing the top 200 locations likely to see a crash.
"This analysis then allows the county to prioritize where and how to most effectively invest in safety improvements through capital projects, development approvals, and master planning," according to the report.
On Sunday, police investigated another deadly crash in Montgomery County. It happened at the intersection of New Hampshire Ave and Lockwood Drive.
One man died following a multi-vehicle crash involving a van, a car and a Metrobus. According to Montgomery County Police, at around 9 p.m. Sunday, the drivers of two cars crashed into each other near New Hampshire Avenue and Lockwood Drive.
The man driving the van, identified as 25-year-old Ovidio Aroldo Gonzalez Cortez, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The man driving the car was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Police claim Cortez was behind the wheel when, for reasons still under investigation, he crossed the median and struck a blue 2008 Toyota Corolla in the southbound lanes. The Corolla was subsequently hit by the Metrobus, which was also driving southbound.
Metro officials said there was one passenger on the bus, and neither the passenger nor the driver were injured, but the driver was transported to the hospital out of caution.
The Predictive Safety Analysis Final Report was created by Vision Zero. the initiative aims to eliminate serious and fatal collisions on County roads for vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and bicyclists by the end of 2030.
Through this analysis, a few key findings emerged:
• Prioritization needs to look beyond crash history. In the past, Montgomery County has sometimes taken a reactionary approach to transportation safety, implementing site-specific improvements in the aftermath of a fatal crash. The results of this analysis show that prioritizing safety treatments based solely on locations with a history of severe injury and fatal crashes could result in unmitigated crash risk. From 2015 to 2019, only 55% of fatalities and 46% of severe injuries occurred in top 200 locations identified in the Predictive Safety Analysis.
• As a suburban county, much of Montgomery County’s crash risk is in the suburbs. The county’s suburban areas and the high-speed, high-volume suburban Boulevards that run through them have the highest concentration of crash risk in the county for most crash types. To reach Vision Zero, safety improvements must address these locations.
• Yet Downtowns and Town Centers have the highest average crash risk. On a perintersection or per-roadway segment basis, crash risk is highest in the county’s urban areas, particularly for pedestrian and bicycle crash types. Systemic improvements on Downtown Boulevards and Town Center Boulevards – and more broadly in Downtown and Town Center areas – would yield the greatest benefits per location improved.
• Safety improvements in Equity Emphasis Areas (EEAs) should be prioritized. Across all metrics, crash risk is disproportionately concentrated in EEAs. More than half of the top 200 locations for pedestrian crash types are located within EEAs (even though only 16% of county intersections are in EEAs), and the average crash risk in EEAs far exceeds that for non-EEAs for five of the six crash types. Focusing investments in EEAs can mitigate this disparity and balance crash risk in the county.