Thousands to Converge on Baltimore for Roadway Safety Conference

The nation's largest gathering of highway safety professionals will address critical challenges and share innovations.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:08pm

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An abstract, out-of-focus photograph of a city street at night, with blurred headlights, taillights, and streetlamps creating a warm, atmospheric glow that conveys a sense of movement and energy related to roadway safety.The Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety aims to address critical safety challenges and share innovative solutions to prevent tragic crashes and save lives on our nation's roads.Baltimore Today

The Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety, the nation's largest gathering of highway safety professionals, is coming to Baltimore next week to address roadway deaths and injuries and share safety improvement innovations. More than 1,500 experts will convene at the Baltimore Convention Center from April 18-21 to discuss critical safety challenges, including impairment, distraction, speed, seat belts and post-crash care.

Why it matters

Thousands of lives are lost every year to preventable crashes, and Baltimore was chosen as the conference's location due to its connection to post-crash care through the renowned Shock Trauma program. The conference aims to highlight successes, such as Maryland's recent 17.5% decrease in traffic fatalities, and share innovative ideas like carrying blood on ambulances to improve survival rates.

The details

The four-day Lifesavers Conference will feature experts from law enforcement, engineering, state highway safety offices, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, local advocates, and community workers. They will discuss critical safety challenges and share lessons learned from incidents like the March 2023 tragedy in which six construction workers were killed when a speeding car jumped a Jersey wall into a work zone on the Beltway.

  • The Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety will take place from April 18-21, 2026.
  • In March 2023, six construction workers were killed in a crash on the Beltway.

The players

Michele Mount

The executive director of the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety.

Dr. Thomas Scalea

The Physician-In-Chief at Shock Trauma, who is renowned for his impact in post-crash care and will be speaking at the conference's opening plenary.

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What they’re saying

“We are taking advantage of being in Baltimore, which is the birthplace of Shock Trauma and core care. We are delighted, and it's a privilege to have (Shock Trauma Physician-In-Chief Dr. Thomas) Scalea come and speak at her opening plenary because he is renowned for his impact in post-crash care.”

— Michele Mount, Executive Director, Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety

“By bringing blood to a crash scene, you could save lives. Forty-two percent of traffic fatalities, the victim is alive on the scene. If blood is brought to the scene, we can improve their likelihood of survival.”

— Michele Mount, Executive Director, Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety

What’s next

NHTSA recently announced a grant for communities to apply for funding to implement the program of carrying blood on ambulances to improve survival rates, which will be discussed at the conference.

The takeaway

The Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety in Baltimore will bring together leading experts to address critical safety challenges, share innovative solutions, and highlight successes in reducing traffic fatalities, with the goal of saving more lives on the nation's roadways.