This month several new traffic safety laws will take effect across Maryland. According to AAA the new laws include:
Senate Bill 945/House Bill 1342 – Drunk Driving Reduction Act of 2016 (Noah’s Law) mandates the use of ignition interlock systems for all convicted DUI offenders, including first time offenders. “The reality is that first-time offenders aren’t really first-time offenders at all. It is simply the first time these drivers have been caught for something they have most likely done countless times,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, Public and Government Affairs Manager at AAA Mid-Atlantic and a former Baltimore Police Officer.
The legislation, which had been introduced in the past without success, was especially significant this year and achieved momentum, in large part because of the tragic death of Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta. Officer Leotta, for whom the bill was named, was killed by a suspected drunk driver last December. The bill passed with amendments in both chambers in the final hours of this year’s legislative session.
The legislation requires the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to suspend indefinitely the license of any convicted drunk driver that fails to participate in the ignition interlock system or fails to complete the program. Offenders convicted for the first time would be required to participate in the program for at least six months. Those convicted a second and third time would be required to participate in the program for one and three years, respectively.
Another law which stemmed from a tragedy on Maryland roads is House Bill 409 – Providing Alcohol to Underage Drinkers – Penalties (Alex and Calvin’s Law). Alex and Calvin’s Law will increase the penalties for obtaining or furnishing alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years old or allowing an individual under 21 years of age to possess or consume alcoholic beverages in certain situations. This legislation was introduced by Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo (D-District 15) because of a tragic incident last summer when three recent graduates of Wootton High School, and another friend, piled into a car after a party where underage drinking was taking place. Two members of the foursome were pronounced dead after the 18-year-old driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a tree in North Potomac, Maryland. This law is named in memory of Alex Murk and Calvin Li Law, the two teens who sadly died in the crash.
Another traffic safety law supported by AAA that takes effect on Saturday is HB 157/SB 160 – Death or Life-Threatening Injury by Motor Vehicle or Vessel – Subsequent Offenders – Penalties. This law increases penalties for offenders who commit vehicular manslaughter and that have been previously convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Under the new law, convicted offenders are subject to a maximum 15 years in prison and $15,000 in fines.
Other motorist-related legislation to take effect are:
Senate Bill 969 – Vehicle Equipment – Counterfeit and Nonfunctional Airbags – Prohibitions, which prohibits the sale of counterfeit or nonfunctional airbags. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), approximately 50,000 airbags are stolen in the United States each year, costing vehicle owners and insurance companies over $50 million in annual losses. Police and experts indicate that a very active black market exists for airbags. Airbags typically retail for approximately $1,000, but stolen ones cost $50 to $200, according to the NICB. The easy portability of airbags, make them convenient to remove and install as “new” by less-than-reputable repair shops. These unscrupulous shops then charge the insurance company or vehicle owner full price for the replacement. “AAA supported this legislation because in many cases, the installed airbag is defective, putting motorists and their passengers at serious risk in the event of an accident,” Averella said.
SB 544/HB720 – Motor Vehicle Insurance — Carrying Proof of Coverage, which requires drivers to carry a current insurance identification card with them or in their vehicle. The proof of insurance can be paper, plastic or electronic. Offenders are subject to a $50 fine.
HB 1179 – HOV Lanes – Plug-In Electric Drive and Hybrid Vehicles, this law issues an HOV permit to a qualified hybrid vehicle owner allowing the vehicle to be driven in the HOV lanes on U.S. Route 50 between I-95 and I-495, as well as on U.