The state of Maryland has been awarded a federal grant to upgrade the State’s crash reporting system, and streamline the exchange of data across local, state and federal agencies. The Department of Transportation, State Police and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems will use the funding to modernize the state’s crash data systems to enable electronic collection and sharing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Officials say the upgrade will improve the quality and access to the crash data, which will be used to evaluate traffic safety issues and support measures to help save lives and prevent injuries.