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About 60 people died in crashes on Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway, from 2006 to 2008, according to statistics released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Of those deaths, 48 occurred on the Prince George's County stretch of the Beltway.

With at least three connecting highways that cut through the county — I-495 and routes 50 and 301 — Prince George's is home to some of the highest traffic volumes in the state and the highest death toll.

According to traffic counts, the busiest portion of the Beltway is the Route 193 exit near Greenbelt, where about 250,000 cars travel on an average day — about 8,000 more than the busiest portion of the Montgomery side of the Beltway near Interstate 270. Driver surveys have found that at least 30 percent of county residents drive out of Prince George's for work each day.

In 2008, Prince George's County accounted for more than 20 percent of the state's 589 traffic deaths, according to the State Highway Administration.

Lt. Carl Miller, commander of the Maryland State Police barracks in College Park, said the traffic conditions in Prince George's make it more prone to speeding than in Montgomery.

"They deal with a lot more congestion," Miller said. "Here, it's a little more open. Their roads are winding, and that will slow you down."

In addition to speeding and alcohol-related crashes, the new NHTSA statistics cited single-car crashes and pedestrians struck while changing tires as common causes of death on the Beltway.