COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WUSA9) -- Prince George's County, Maryland leads the state by a wide margin in traffic deaths, according to new numbers released by the state's Motor Vehicle Administration Tuesday.
Since 2010, 469 people have died on Prince George's County roads compared to 325 in Baltimore County and 205 in Montgomery County.
The reason's why are elusive, according to MVA spokesman Buell Young.
"Prince George's County has always led the state in this area," Young said. "What we do know is that their fatality number is trending downward. That trend is a direct result of a renewed dedication to sophisticated traffic enforcement efforts by the Prince George's County Police Department and their Command Staff."
The Capital Beltway through part of Prince George's County is a particularly congested and dangerous corridor, with high speeds.
The Beltway between College Park and Rt. 50 is the most crash prone section of the Beltway in the region with an average of 54.3 crashes per mile, per year, between 2010 and 2012.
Overall, Maryland highway deaths reached an historic 66-year low in 2014, according to state officials.
The number of traffic fatalities on Maryland roads in 2014 was 442 – the lowest number since 1948. The highest number of traffic fatalities was 872 in 1968.
Officials credit airbags, seat belts, better road engineering and tougher enforcement for the historic statewide decline.
