Maryland passes traffic safety initiatives
The Maryland General Assembly passed a series of traffic safety bills during the 2016 legislative session, mostly notably measures designed to reduce drunk driving and the distribution of alcohol to persons under the age of 21.
The Drunk Driving Reduction Act, more commonly known as Noah’s law, requires individuals convicted of Driving Under the Influence to participate in the ignition interlock program. The legislation, which had previously failed to gain significant support, is named in honor of Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, who was killed by an individual suspected of driving drunk in December 2015.
“Our hearts go out to the family and colleagues of Officer Leotta and the many families who came to Annapolis in support of this legislation. So many Maryland families have lost loved ones at the hands of a drunk driver, and the fact is an ignition interlock on the car can prevent an impaired driver from putting the lives of innocent people in danger,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, public and government affairs manager for American Automobile Association Mid-Atlantic.
“In a recent AAA Mid-Atlantic transportation poll, 64 percent of Maryland motorists indicated that they support the use of ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, including first time offenders. In the same poll, 26 percent of Maryland motorists indicated that drunk driving was their number one traffic safety concern,” Averella said.
Alex and Calvin’s law, will increase penalties for those who provide alcohol to individuals under the age of 21, or in certain circumstances, permit those persons to drink. The impetus for this legislation emanates from a 2015 Montgomery County case where two recent high school graduates were killed after the driver had crashed into a tree after departing from a party where underage drinking had been permitted.
“AAA applauds the lead sponsor of this bill, Delegate David Frasier-Hidalgo for holding those who would furnish alcohol to minors accountable. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Sadly, many of these deaths are from crashes that are preventable, such as drinking and driving or distracted driving.” Averella said.
Other safety measures included the defeat of legislation that would have allowed an adult motorcycle rider to operate their vehicle without a helmet under certain circumstances.
There were 4,668 motorcycle fatalities in 2013, accounting for 14 percent of total traffic fatalities. About 88,000 motorcyclists were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of those killed, 40 percent of motorcycle riders and 51 percent of fatally injured passengers were not wearing helmets at the time of the crashes in 2013, according to NHTSA.
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